Noise and time-dependent fluctuations are usually undesirable signals. However, they have many applications. This dissertation deals with two kinds of sensing applications of fluctuation and noise: soil bulk density assessment and bacterium sensing. The measurement of Vibration-Induced Conductivity Fluctuations (VICOF) provides information about the bulk density and other parameters of soils. Bulk density is the physical property of soils that is important to both the agriculture and construction industries. The traditional measurements of soil bulk density are often time-consuming, expensive or destructive. To determine the soil bulk density without the above drawbacks, the VICOF measurement scheme was proposed. The research of VICOF in this dissertation includes two parts: the initial phase of study and the new methods and their theory. In the initial phase of study, the simple experiments, theory, and simulations of VICOF were tested for relations between the soil bulk density, wetness, salinity, and the VICOF data. Then, new measurement arrangements and their theoretical models were proposed to improve the weaknesses of the initial approach (such as large scattering of data due to loose and heavy contacts) and to calculate the relationship between the measured signals and the electromechanical transport parameters of the soils. The bacterium sensing study in this dissertation was proposed to explore simple, practical, rapid, sensitive, specific, portable, and inexpensive ways to detect and recognize bacteria by Fluctuation-Enhanced Sensing (FES). One such potential way of bacterium sensing is to analyze their odor. The research of bacterium sensing also includes two parts: the initial phase of study and the new methods and their theory. The initial phase study was proposed to explore the possibility of detecting and identifying bacteria by sensing their odor via FES with commercial Taguchi sensors. Then the subsequently developed new methods and their theory provide a simple way to generate binary patterns with perfect reproducibility based on the spectral slopes in different frequency ranges at FES. This new type of signal processing and pattern recognition is implemented at the block diagram level using the building elements of analog circuitries and a few logic gates with total power consumption in the microWatts range.

This work presents design and fabrication technologies on vibration-induced electromagnetic micro-generators using LTCC (Low temperature co-fire ceramic) processes. LTCC fabrication with some special advantages has simplistically processes and multilayer stack procedure, resulting in a micro-inducer can consist of the multilayer silver (Ag) induction micro-coils and a helical ceramic micro-spring. Highly electrical conductible Ag and its multilayer micro-coil structures can enhance the power output of generators. This work is composed of three parts. The first part describes the design of two kinds of micro-generator; a magnetic core generator (MCG) and sided-magnet generator (SMG). According to their respective structures, an analytical mode is also developed to investigate its resonant frequency and the spring constant of the micro-spring, as well as the bending stress and fatigue life of the supporting beam. The voltage output, current output and power output on the helical induction micro-coils, as well as the relationship of vibration amplitude versus vibration frequency in the vibrating system are calculated. The second part introduces how to integrate the Ag multilayer induction micro-coils and the helical ceramic micro-spring using LTCC technique, and organize the design and fabrication of LTCC micro-inducers. From the fabrication procedures, it is known that a stacking error places a limit on the total numbers of micro-coils layer. The experimental results verify that the application of LTCC to the fabrication of micro-inducers is feasible, and that the phenomenon of plane warpage, volumetric shrinkage, layer delamination and surface crack of sintered ceramic structures has been fully controlled. In the third part, measurement setup, vibrating tests and experiments on generating electricity are completed. The performances with different-structure devices are evaluated. Voltage output, current output and power output, as well as changing trends of power density with respect to the layer number of induction micro-coils and magnets are discussed. Relationship of the electrical parasitical damping coefficient versus the vibration amplitude and vibration velocity, relationship between the induced inductor and the current output, the power output depending on the electrical load resistance and differences between fabrication lots are investigated. At last, comparisons between analytical and experimental power output are conduced. For MCG micro-generator, the analytical value is 0.88 mW, about 13.6% smaller than the experimental value of 1 mW. For SMG micro-generator, the analytical value is 1.73 mW, about 10.7% larger than the measured value of 1.56 mW. The analytical models are verified. In the MCG device, the experimental results show that a maximum voltage output of 25.19 mV, a current output of 82.9 mA and a power density of 2.36 mW/cm3 under 120 Hz frequency and 0.03-mm amplitude are obtained. In addition, when operated at 69 Hz vibration frequency and vibration amplitude of 0.03 mm, the experimental maximum voltage output, current output and power density of the SMG device are 44.5 mV, 83.1 mA and 2.17 mW/cm3, respectively. Except the power density, other electricity performances of SMG device are better than MCG. Apparently, the power density of MCG and SMG device presented by this study competes favorably with the results from other devices in the literature.

Although a component satisfies all operating static requirements, failures can still occur due to vibration induced fatigue. Vibration induced fatigue is a frequent phenomenon, in cases where the natural frequencies of the structures are excited by the loading. Hence, the methods which consider all dynamic characteristic of the structure should be used to obtain accurate fatigue life predictions. These methods in frequency domain are called vibration fatigue methods which give accurate, reliable and fast results. In this thesis, a numerical code is developed in order to predict fatigue life of structures and it is used for a bracket that is installed on an air platform. However, for verification of the numerical code, a cantilever beam is used as a case study at the beginning. First, finite element model of the cantilever beam is constructed and experimental analyses are performed to verify the finite element model. Then fatigue life is calculated using the numerical code and it is verified comparing the results obtained by both commercial software and performed fatigue tests. For predicting fatigue life of the bracket, flight test is performed in order to obtain acceleration loading. Finite element modeling of bracket and verification of it by experimental analyses are performed and finally, accelerated fatigue life of the bracket is obtained by the developed numerical code, commercial software and fatigue test. It is concluded that the results obtained from the fatigue analyses and fatigue test are considerably close enough to justify that the analysis is significantly accurate.

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Hearing loss from noise exposure is one of the most common occupational injuries, and exposure to vibrations may increase the risk of noise-induced hearing loss. Earlier cross-sectional and longitudinal studies found an increased risk of noise-induced hearing loss among workers with vibration-induced white fingers (VWF) symptoms compared to workers without such symptoms. It has been suggested that vibrations to the hand stimulate the sympathetic nervous system and cause vasoconstriction in both the exposed hand and the ears and that this contributes to noise-induced hearing loss. The overall aim of this thesis was to examine how hand-arm vibrations (HAV) interact with noise in the development of noise-induced hearing loss. The experimental study in this thesis examined the effects of HAV and noise, both separately and combined, on the temporary threshold shift (TTS) in hearing in 22 healthy male and female subjects. The two longitudinal studies in this thesis were based on a cohort of 189 male workers at a heavy engineering workshop. The first cohort study examined the risk of noise-induced hearing loss from long-term exposure to HAV and noise. The second cohort study examined if workers with VWF had an increased risk of noise-induced hearing loss compared to workers without such symptoms. Finally, the questionnaire study in this thesis examined the occurrence of Raynaud’s phenomenon among 133 men and women with noise-induced hearing loss in relation to exposure to vibrations. In the experimental study, no differences in TTS in hearing were observed after combined exposure to HAV and noise compared to exposure to only noise. In the first cohort study, there was an increased risk of noise-induced hearing loss with increased exposure to HAV in a noisy environment. In the second cohort study, it was found that workers with VWF had an increased risk of noise-induced hearing loss compared to workers without VWF. In the questionnaire study, many men and women with noise-induced hearing loss had used hand-held vibrating machines suggesting that vibrations might contribute to noise-induced hearing loss. A high prevalence of Raynaud’s phenomenon was found among men. This thesis demonstrated that there was a long-term effect on noise-induced hearing loss from combined exposure to noise and HAV, but no short-term effect, and that having Raynaud’s phenomenon may also increase the risk of noise-induced hearing loss. / Många arbetare använder sig av handhållna vibrerande verktyg. Det utsätter dem för höga nivåer av både buller och vibrationer. Människor som utsätts för höga bullernivåer under lång tid kan skada sin hörsel. Risken för hörselnedsättning orsakad av buller kan eventuellt öka om personen samtidigt är utsatt för vibrationer från handhållna vibrerande verktyg. Syftet med avhandlingen var att studera om vibrationer i kombination med buller ökar risken för hörselnedsättning. Avhandlingen består av fyra studier. Den första studien är en experimentell studie med 22 friska deltagare med god hörsel. Denna studie undersökte hur hörseln tillfälligt påverkas av buller och vibrationer, separat och i kombination. Den andra och tredje studien bygger på en population bestående av 189 verkstadsarbetare i Sundsvall som följts regelbundet sedan 1987. Den andra studien undersökte om det finns en ökad risk för hörselnedsättning för arbetare som utsätts för buller och vibrationer under lång tid. Den tredje studien undersökte om arbetare med vita fingrar har en ökad risk för hörselnedsättning än arbetare utan vita fingrar. Vita fingrar är en kärlskada orsakad av vibrationer som gör att fingrarna reagerar onormalt snabbt på kyla. Fingrarna blir vita när blodtillförseln till dem stryps. Den fjärde studien är en enkätstudie med 342 kvinnor och män som har en bekräftad hörselnedsättning orsakad av buller. Studien undersökte hur många ur denna grupp som utsätts för vibrationer samt har vita fingrar. Resultaten från studierna visar att det inte finns någon skillnad i hörselpåverkan från buller och vibrationer i kombination jämfört med enbart buller under kort tid. De som utsätts för vibrationer från handhållna vibrerande verktyg i en bullrig miljö under lång tid har en ökad risk för hörselnedsättning. Arbetare med vita fingrar har en högre risk för hörselnedsättning än de utan. En hög andel av de med hörselnedsättning orsakad av buller använder sig av handhållna vibrerande verktyg. I studien fanns även en hög andel med vita fingrar. Sammanfattningsvis visar resultaten att det finns en långtidseffekt av buller och vibrationer på hörselnedsättning men inte någon korttidseffekt, och att vita fingrar kan påverka risken för hörselnedsättning.