The Nondestructive Evaluation Laboratory (END, Evaluacion No Destructiva), has served results in anticipating damage and health condition in complex materials since 2004.
We share the aspiration of discovering fascinating phenomena in the intersecting fields of mechanics-physics-computation-materials engineering, understanding the laws behind these, and applying this knowledge to create unique concepts and technology that serve our community by innovating and entrepreneuring.
Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do. [Goethe]
Capabilities of equipment
| Ultrasound power: | 1 mW - 150 W | |
| Ultrasound frequency: | 20 kHz - 100 MHz | |
| Digitalization rate: | 0 Hz - 0.5 GHz | |
| Digitalization depth: | 8 - 12 bits | |
| Digitalization buffer: | 0 - 8 Mb | |
| Robotics precision: | 3 axis - 0.1 mm | |
| Computing power: | 4.2 TFlops, 2 TB RAM | |
| (shared) |
Projects
Current projects range nonlinear and ultrasonic spectroscopy for damage monitoring, tissue ultrasound mechanics, probabilistic inverse problems and predictive inference, reliability-based structural optimization and prototyping of sensors and biorreactors. They are aimed at discovering new physical principles for damage or pathology monitoring and prediction, for apply them to design and quality assessment of advanced structures (carbon fiber composites), and characterizing the microarchitecture of human tissue, artificial organs, medical diagnosis and ultrasound therapy.
Ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation
We propose to change the paradigm from pathology identification from linear scattering to reconstruction from constitutive nonlinearity.
Advanced materials for civil engineering
The changing needs of civil structures and cost structures makes uncertainties about structural functioning the only limitation to the evolution of structural typologies and materials towards advanced materials, characterized by slenderness, design flexibility and rapid installation.
Model-based US-based monitoring techniques are being developed to answer such structural uncertainties, providing reliability, safety and quality to innovative structural concepts. Nonlinear material constitutive laws appear to be strongly related to the mechanical degradation. This fact is being exploited to anticipate the health state of the structure locally by ultrasound and globally by vibration analysis.
Bone quality
This is an example of how Engineering can help the Medical Science. Ultrasound is an attractive tool for advanced diagnosis applications as it generates no ionizing ratiations, and its propagation directly governed by the mechanical properties of tissue.
We recently reported the suitability of ultrasound techniques to monitor in real time bone growth induced by nanostructured materials. Nanostructured titania on orthopedic implants allows to increase their average lifetime, significantly reducing the need for surgery intervention due to implant debonding.
Probabilistic inverse problems
We are rethinking the inverse problems away from deterministic model-fitting but towards probabilistic predictive inference.
Information theory and computational bayesian probability allow to not only reconstruct the mechanical properties but their reliability.
Moreover, a generalization of the theory allows to test alternative evolution models for their plausibility. This provides a tool for both model hypothesis testing and predictive inference. This is being practically applied to prototype monitoring biorreactors, on one side, and to control carbon fiber fatigue or optimizing the sensor positioning.
Tissue ultrasound mechanics
We are moving from diagnostic to therapeutic ultrasound, a recently discovered phoenomenon that is not understood. The first steps are being taken in modeling and understanding the tissue ultrasound mechanics, and also on prototyping ultrasonic transducers.
Thesis
- J. M. Melchor, Piezoelectric transducer design optimization, MSc 2012.
- J. Gomez, Caracterizacion mecanica de semiespacios multicapa..., MSc 2012.
- J. Luna, Diseño de algoritmos de calculo de retardo de ondas ultrasonicas..., MSc 2012.
- L. M. Peralta, Mechanical characterization of cervical tissue, MSc 2012.
- M. Chiachio, Fatigue prognosis in composites: a Bayesian framework, MSc 2011.
- J. Chiachio, Inverse problem of predicting stochastic fatigue damage..., MSc 2011.
- L. Marin, Optimizacion de paneles rigidizados de materiales compuestos..., MSc 2011.
- L. Matas, Aproximación analítica de frecuencias de flexión libres de losas..., MSc 2011.
- N. Bochud, Signal processing methods for nondestructive evaluation..., MSc 2010.
- P. Alba, Moving load bridge monitoring by optimum filtering, MSc 2010.
- S. Mansilla, Pavimentos desmontables en calzadas y aceras urbanas, MSc 2010.
- A. Fahim, Model-based damage reconstruction in composites from ultrasound, MSc 2009.
- A. Sanchez, Optimizacion conjunta material-estructura ... fibra de carbono, PFC 2012.
- A. Mendoza, Analisis de la ordenacion del territorio de los cordones litorales..., PFC 2011.
- L. Jalon, Evaluacion del impacto y funcionalidad ambiental del cordon litoral..., PFC 2011.
- J. D. Jimenez, Puente autotensado de materiales avanzados sobre el río Genil, PFC 2010. (Please cite the associated papers if used)
Institutions
Funding bodies
