Back to results
US 12,163,929 B2Granted
Apparatus and method for characterizing soft materials using acoustic emissions
AssigneeWisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
InventorsMelih Eriten, Corinne R. Henak
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A noncontact vibration measurement enables detection of acoustic emissions from fracture events in soft materials experimentally determined to be highly correlated to fracture energies, the latter revealing the toughness of the material.
Claims17
An apparatus for the analysis of soft materials comprising:
- a probe adapted to contact the soft material;
- an actuator communicating with the probe and providing a predetermined controlled of rate of displacement of the probe after the probe is in contact with the soft material along a force axis to generate fracture events;
- a noncontact vibration sensor generating a vibration signal from measured acoustic emissions of at least one fracture event during pressing of the probe;
- and
- an electronic processor receiving the vibration signal to provide an output indicating energy released during the fracture event.
2 more elements
A method of characterizing soft materials employing an apparatus providing:
- a probe adapted to contact the soft material;
- an actuator communicating with the probe and providing a predetermined controlled rate of displacement of the probe after the probe is in contact with the soft material along a force axis to generate fracture events;
- a noncontact vibration sensor generating a vibration signal from measured acoustic emissions of at least one fracture event during pressing of the probe;
- and
- an electronic processor receiving the vibration signal to provide an output indicating energy released during the fracture event, the method including:
- (a) applying force to the probe in contact with a soft material along the force axis to generate fracture events;
- (b) monitoring a vibration signal from acoustic emissions of at least one fracture event in the soft material;
- and
- (c) outputting a value indicating energy released during the fracture event derived from the vibration signal.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.