"Hearing loss affects approximately 1 in 10 people in the world and this percentage is increasing every year. Some of the most common causes of hearing loss are disorders of the middle-ear. Early detection and diagnosis of hearing loss as well as research to understand the hearing processes depend on medical and research tools for quantification of hearing capabilities and the function of the middle-ear in the complex acousto-mechanical transformation of environmental sounds into vibrations of the middle-ear, particular of the human tympanic membrane (TM or eardrum). Current ear exams assess the state of a patient’s hearing capabilities mainly based on qualitative evaluation of the healthiness of the TM. Existing quantitative clinical methods for description of the motion of the TM are limited to either average acoustic estimates (admittance or reflectance) or single-point displacement measurements. Such methods could leave examiners and researchers blind to the complex spatio-temporal response of the nanometer scale displacements of the entire TM. Current state-of-the-art medical research tools provide full-field nanometer displacement measurements of the surface of the human TM excited by steady state (tonal) stimuli. However, to fully understand the mechanics of hearing, and the complex acousto-mechanical characteristics of TM in particular, new tools are needed for full-field high-speed characterization of the nanometer scale displacements of the human TM subjected to impulse (wideband) acoustic excitation. This Dissertation reports the development of a new high-speed holographic system (HHS) for full-field nanometer transient (i.e., > 10 kHz) displacement measurement of the human middle-ear and the tympanic membrane, in particular. The HHS allows spatial (i.e., >500k data points) and temporal (i.e., > 40 kHz) resolutions that enable the study of the acoustical and mechanical characteristics of the middle-ear at a level of detail that have never been reached before. The realization of the HHS includes the development and implementation of novel phase sampling and acquisition approaches that allow the use of state-of-the-art high-resolution (i.e., >5 MP) and high-speed (> 80,000 fps) cameras through modular and expandable control architectures. The development of novel acquisition approaches allows the use of conventional speed (i.e., <20 fps) cameras to realize high-temporal resolutions (i.e., <15 us) at equivalent sampling rates of > 50,000 fps with minimum hardware cost and modifications. The design and implementation of novel spatio-temporal phase sampling methods utilize the high temporal resolution (i.e., < 5 us exposure) and frame rate (i.e., >80,000 fps) of high-speed cameras without imposing constraints on their spatial resolution (i.e., >20 um pixel size). Additionally, the research and in-vivo applications capabilities of the HHS are extended through the development and implementation of a holographic otoscope head (OH) and a mechatronic otoscope positioner (MOP). The large (i.e., > 1 GB with > 8x10^9 parameters) spatio-temporal data sets of the HHS measurements are automatically processed by custom parallel data mining and interpretation (PDMI) methods, which allow automatic quantification of medically relevant motion parameters (MRMPs), such as modal frequencies, time constants, and acoustic delays. Such capabilities could allow inferring local material properties across the surface of the TM. The HHS is a new medical tool that enables otologists to improve the quality of diagnosis and treatments as well as provides researchers with spatio-temporal information of the hearing process at a level of detail never reached before. "

Recent research shows that human auditory steady-state responses (ASSRs) develop a resonance at 40 Hz and the dramatic amplitude increase of the Pb component of the middle latency response (MLR) accounts for the high amplitude of the ASSR at 40 Hz. The first part of this study aimed to investigate the ASSR resonance characteristics as a function of rate in guinea pigs. A study of the grand average of the peak-to-peak and fundamental frequency amplitudes does indeed show a resonance around 40 Hz in guinea pigs. Unlike human ASSRs, this resonance is very broad (26-52 Hz) and flat. The centrally recorded ASSRs are smaller and tend to have resonances at higher rates compared to temporal signals. The second part of the analysis investigated whether the superposition of transient responses can predict the acquired ASSRs at each corresponding rate. This superposition theory is one of two competing theories on the origin of the ASSRs, with the other centering on the induced phase synchronization of brain waves. In order to test the first theory, transient responses were used to create synthetic ASSRs, which were then compared to the acquired ASSRs via correlation coefficient and phasor analysis. For the 40 Hz ASSR, both temporal and central electrode synthesized ASSRs show a correlation coefficient above 0.80. In the comparison at 20 Hz, the correlation coefficient is very high (about 0.9) in the temporal electrode, yet significantly lower (about 0.7) for the central electrode. Furthermore, at 80 Hz, the correlation coefficient is significantly lower in both temporal and central electrodes (about 0.7). At all rates, the correlation coefficients are highest with low jitter sequences. Finally, phasor analysis was also used to test the superposition theory of the generation of the acquired ASSRs at 20, 40, and 80 Hz. Overall, in the temporal recordings at 40 Hz, the superposition of the MLR responses accurately predicted the acquired 40 Hz ASSR as demonstrated by both magnitude and phase analysis. The recordings made in the central electrode only predicted the acquired ASSR in its phases, with significant differences found in magnitude at its main harmonics. Similarly, at 20 and 80 Hz in both temporal and central electrodes, the synthetic ASSRs did not appear to fully predict the acquired ASSRs. Although the phases were successfully predicted, large magnitude variations were observed. As shown by mean prediction error plots, the acquired ASSRs are best predicted by low jitter sequences, followed by low-medium and medium jitter sequences.

Power systems are protected by numerical relays that detect and isolate faults that may occur on power systems. The correct operation of the relay is very important to maintain the security of the power system. <p>Numerical relays that use voltage measurements from the power system provided by coupling capacitor voltage transformers (CCVT) have sometimes difficulty in correctly identifying a fault in the protected area. The fundamental frequency voltage phasor resulting from these CCVT measurements may result in a deviation from the true value and therefore may locate this phasor temporarily in the incorrect operating region. This phasor deviation is due to the CCVT behavior and the CCVT introduces spurious decaying and oscillating transient signal components on top of the original voltage received from the power system in response to sudden voltage changes produced during faults. Most of the existing methods for estimating the voltage phasor do not take advantage of the knowledge of the CCVT behavior that can be obtained from its design parameters.<p>A new least squares error method for phasor estimation is presented in this thesis, which improves the accuracy and speed of convergence of the phasors obtained, using the knowledge of the CCVT behavior. The characteristics of the transient signal components introduced by the CCVT, such as frequencies and time constants of decay, are included in the description of the curve to be fitted, which is required in a least squares fitting technique. Parameters such as window size and sampling rate for optimum results are discussed.<p>The method proposed is evaluated using typical power systems, with results that can be compared to the response if an ideal potential transformer (PT) were used instead of a CCVT. The limitations of this method are found in some specific power system scenarios, where the natural frequencies of the power system are close to that of the CCVT, but with longer time constants. The accuracy with which the CCVT parameters are known is also assessed, with results that show little impact compared to the improvements achievable.

Basic diffusion analytical solutions of one-dimensional consolidation are presented for the case of a semi-infinite domain. Typical tractions considered include instantaneous loads of the medium with a free boundary pressure, as well as the case of a permeable membrane located at the forced boundary. <br /><br /> Two-dimensional boundary value problems for a porous half-space, described by the widely recognized Biot's equations of poroelasticity, including inertia effects is discussed. In this poroelastic version of Lamb's problem in the classical theory of linear elastic waves, the surface of a porous half-space is subjected to a prescribed line traction. The following two broadly applicable cases are considered: 1) A steady state harmonic load, 2) An impulsive load (Dirac delta function time dependence). A general analytical solution of the problem in the Fourier -- Laplace space was obtained by the application of the standard Helmholtz potential decomposition, which reduces the problem to a system of wave equations for three unknown potentials, which correspond to three types of motion: P1, slow P2 wave, and the shear wave S. The possibilities of, and procedure for, obtaining analytic solutions in the physical space subsequently are discussed in detail. When viscous dissipation effects are taken into account, a steady-state harmonic line traction solution can be represented in the form of well convergent integrals, while for the case when viscous dissipation is ignored, closed form analytic solutions can be obtained for impulsive forcing with the application of the Cagniard -- de Hoop inversion technique. Numerical studies of the dispersion relation of the Rayleigh, or surface, wave for cases in which the dissipation is not negligible are presented.

Basic diffusion analytical solutions of one-dimensional consolidation are presented for the case of a semi-infinite domain. Typical tractions considered include instantaneous loads of the medium with a free boundary pressure, as well as the case of a permeable membrane located at the forced boundary. <br /><br /> Two-dimensional boundary value problems for a porous half-space, described by the widely recognized Biot's equations of poroelasticity, including inertia effects is discussed. In this poroelastic version of Lamb's problem in the classical theory of linear elastic waves, the surface of a porous half-space is subjected to a prescribed line traction. The following two broadly applicable cases are considered: 1) A steady state harmonic load, 2) An impulsive load (Dirac delta function time dependence). A general analytical solution of the problem in the Fourier -- Laplace space was obtained by the application of the standard Helmholtz potential decomposition, which reduces the problem to a system of wave equations for three unknown potentials, which correspond to three types of motion: P1, slow P2 wave, and the shear wave S. The possibilities of, and procedure for, obtaining analytic solutions in the physical space subsequently are discussed in detail. When viscous dissipation effects are taken into account, a steady-state harmonic line traction solution can be represented in the form of well convergent integrals, while for the case when viscous dissipation is ignored, closed form analytic solutions can be obtained for impulsive forcing with the application of the Cagniard -- de Hoop inversion technique. Numerical studies of the dispersion relation of the Rayleigh, or surface, wave for cases in which the dissipation is not negligible are presented.

Power systems are protected by numerical relays that detect and isolate faults that may occur on power systems. The correct operation of the relay is very important to maintain the security of the power system. <p>Numerical relays that use voltage measurements from the power system provided by coupling capacitor voltage transformers (CCVT) have sometimes difficulty in correctly identifying a fault in the protected area. The fundamental frequency voltage phasor resulting from these CCVT measurements may result in a deviation from the true value and therefore may locate this phasor temporarily in the incorrect operating region. This phasor deviation is due to the CCVT behavior and the CCVT introduces spurious decaying and oscillating transient signal components on top of the original voltage received from the power system in response to sudden voltage changes produced during faults. Most of the existing methods for estimating the voltage phasor do not take advantage of the knowledge of the CCVT behavior that can be obtained from its design parameters.<p>A new least squares error method for phasor estimation is presented in this thesis, which improves the accuracy and speed of convergence of the phasors obtained, using the knowledge of the CCVT behavior. The characteristics of the transient signal components introduced by the CCVT, such as frequencies and time constants of decay, are included in the description of the curve to be fitted, which is required in a least squares fitting technique. Parameters such as window size and sampling rate for optimum results are discussed.<p>The method proposed is evaluated using typical power systems, with results that can be compared to the response if an ideal potential transformer (PT) were used instead of a CCVT. The limitations of this method are found in some specific power system scenarios, where the natural frequencies of the power system are close to that of the CCVT, but with longer time constants. The accuracy with which the CCVT parameters are known is also assessed, with results that show little impact compared to the improvements achievable.

This thesis presents a theoretical study of thermoelastic guided waves in cylinders in the context of Lord-Shulman generalized theory of thermoelasticity. Two different methods were formulated to study dispersion relations in infinite cylinders. One of them is a Semi Analytical Finite Element (SAFE) method and the other is an analytical method. In the SAFE method, the dispersion equation has been formulated as a generalized eigenvalue problem by treating radial displacement and temperature with a one dimensional finite element model through the thickness of the cylinder. In the analytical method, displacement potentials are introduced to obtain the dispersion relations of guided wave modes. This method is applicable to isotropic cylinders and has been developed primarily to cross check the SAFE formulation. Frequency spectra obtained by both methods for an isotropic cylinder have shown excellent agreement with each other. Since the SAFE method can be used for an anisotropic composite cylinder, guided wave modes for anisotropic and composite cylinders are presented. Transient analysis of ultrasonic guided waves generated by concentrated heating of the outer surface of an infinite anisotropic cylinder has also been studied. The SAFE method is employed to model the response of a cylinder due to a pulsed laser focused on its surface. Green’s functions were constructed numerically by superposition of guided wave modes in frequency and wave number domains. Time histories of the propagating modes are then calculated by applying an inverse Fourier transformation in the time domain. Transient radial displacements of longitudinal and flexural modes of a silicon nitride cylinder are presented. Propagation of thermoelastic waves in finite length circular cylinders have also been investigated. The SAFE method is used to simulate the guided wave modes in the cylinder. Frequency spectra obtained by the SAFE formulation, for a finite length transversely isotropic cylinder, are validated by comparing the numerical results with relevant publications. Frequency spectra for axisymmetric and asymmetric modes in a silicon nitride finite cylinder with both ends insulated and restrained by frictionless rigid walls are presented. The plain strain problem of circumferential guided waves is also studied and the results are validated for an isothermal case.

This thesis presents a theoretical study of thermoelastic guided waves in cylinders in the context of Lord-Shulman generalized theory of thermoelasticity. Two different methods were formulated to study dispersion relations in infinite cylinders. One of them is a Semi Analytical Finite Element (SAFE) method and the other is an analytical method. In the SAFE method, the dispersion equation has been formulated as a generalized eigenvalue problem by treating radial displacement and temperature with a one dimensional finite element model through the thickness of the cylinder. In the analytical method, displacement potentials are introduced to obtain the dispersion relations of guided wave modes. This method is applicable to isotropic cylinders and has been developed primarily to cross check the SAFE formulation. Frequency spectra obtained by both methods for an isotropic cylinder have shown excellent agreement with each other. Since the SAFE method can be used for an anisotropic composite cylinder, guided wave modes for anisotropic and composite cylinders are presented. Transient analysis of ultrasonic guided waves generated by concentrated heating of the outer surface of an infinite anisotropic cylinder has also been studied. The SAFE method is employed to model the response of a cylinder due to a pulsed laser focused on its surface. Green’s functions were constructed numerically by superposition of guided wave modes in frequency and wave number domains. Time histories of the propagating modes are then calculated by applying an inverse Fourier transformation in the time domain. Transient radial displacements of longitudinal and flexural modes of a silicon nitride cylinder are presented. Propagation of thermoelastic waves in finite length circular cylinders have also been investigated. The SAFE method is used to simulate the guided wave modes in the cylinder. Frequency spectra obtained by the SAFE formulation, for a finite length transversely isotropic cylinder, are validated by comparing the numerical results with relevant publications. Frequency spectra for axisymmetric and asymmetric modes in a silicon nitride finite cylinder with both ends insulated and restrained by frictionless rigid walls are presented. The plain strain problem of circumferential guided waves is also studied and the results are validated for an isothermal case.

Modern switch-mode power supplies (SMPS) used for point-of-load (PoL) applications need to meet increasingly stringent requirements on voltage regulation, while minimizing physical volume and optimizing conversion efficiency. The focus of this thesis is the voltage regulation capability of low-power PoL converters during load transients. The main objective is to investigate converter topologies and control techniques that can achieve fast and smooth transient performance without significant penalty in volume and efficiency. The digital control method is used due to its ability to implement sophisticated control algorithms. The first part of this thesis investigates a dual output stages converter, with a small auxiliary output stage connected in parallel with the main output stage. While the main output stage is responsible for steady-state operation and designed to achieve optimum efficiency, the auxiliary stage is activated when a load transient occurs, to help suppress voltage deviation. Experimental results on a 6 V-to-1 V, 3W buck converter shows 35% improvement in peak transient voltage deviation while maintaining the same efficiency profile, compared to an equivalent buck converter. The second part of this thesis introduces a flyback-transformer based buck (FTBB) converter. In this topology, the conventional buck inductor is replaced with the primary winding of the flyback transformer, an extra switch, and a set of small auxiliary switches on the secondary side. During heavy-to-light load transients the inductor current is steered away from the output capacitor to the input port, achieving both energy recycling and savings due to reduced voltage overshoots. The light-to-heavy transient response is improved by reducing the equivalent inductance of the primary transformer winding to its leakage value. Compared to an equivalent buck converter, experiment results on a 6 V-to-1 V, 3 W prototype show three times smaller maximum output voltage deviation during load transients and, for frequently changing loads, about 7% decrease in power losses.

Modern switch-mode power supplies (SMPS) used for point-of-load (PoL) applications need to meet increasingly stringent requirements on voltage regulation, while minimizing physical volume and optimizing conversion efficiency. The focus of this thesis is the voltage regulation capability of low-power PoL converters during load transients. The main objective is to investigate converter topologies and control techniques that can achieve fast and smooth transient performance without significant penalty in volume and efficiency. The digital control method is used due to its ability to implement sophisticated control algorithms. The first part of this thesis investigates a dual output stages converter, with a small auxiliary output stage connected in parallel with the main output stage. While the main output stage is responsible for steady-state operation and designed to achieve optimum efficiency, the auxiliary stage is activated when a load transient occurs, to help suppress voltage deviation. Experimental results on a 6 V-to-1 V, 3W buck converter shows 35% improvement in peak transient voltage deviation while maintaining the same efficiency profile, compared to an equivalent buck converter. The second part of this thesis introduces a flyback-transformer based buck (FTBB) converter. In this topology, the conventional buck inductor is replaced with the primary winding of the flyback transformer, an extra switch, and a set of small auxiliary switches on the secondary side. During heavy-to-light load transients the inductor current is steered away from the output capacitor to the input port, achieving both energy recycling and savings due to reduced voltage overshoots. The light-to-heavy transient response is improved by reducing the equivalent inductance of the primary transformer winding to its leakage value. Compared to an equivalent buck converter, experiment results on a 6 V-to-1 V, 3 W prototype show three times smaller maximum output voltage deviation during load transients and, for frequently changing loads, about 7% decrease in power losses.