Off-campus Michigan Tech users: To download campus access theses or dissertations, please use the following button to log in with your Michigan Tech ID and password: log in to proxy server
Non-Michigan Tech users: Please talk to your librarian about requesting this thesis or dissertation through interlibrary loan.
Date of Award
2026
Document Type
Campus Access Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical Engineering (PhD)
Administrative Home Department
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Advisor 1
Durdu Guney
Advisor 2
Roohollah Askari
Committee Member 1
Christopher Middlebrook
Committee Member 2
Gregory Waite
Abstract
This work develops a unified experimental and analytical framework for investigating fluid–solid interactions in fluid-filled fractures, with a focus on linking observable stress fields to underlying pressure dynamics and wave propagation mechanisms relevant to geophysical systems. A tri-layer photoelastic model is used throughout to enable full-field visualization of stress evolution under controlled loading conditions. An analytical foundation is first established through the development of Green’s function and semi-analytical Gram–Schmidt formulations for the deflection of fully clamped plates under arbitrary transverse loading, together with a stress-optic relation that directly connects internal pressure distributions to measurable photoelastic fringe patterns. Building on this framework, high-speed photoelastic experiments are used to examine fracture-guided wave propagation under varying inlet conditions, dissolved gas content, and boundary compliance, revealing how phase transitions and mechanical constraints modify dispersion behavior and introduce additional low-velocity modes in gas-bearing regimes. Finally, controlled cavitation experiments demonstrate that bubble collapse acts as a localized, high-amplitude forcing mechanism capable of exciting sustained resonant modes within the fracture. The combined results show that wave propagation in fluid-filled fractures is governed by a coupled interplay between structural compliance, fluid rheology, and multiphase dynamics, and that cavitation provides a physically realizable pathway for converting transient pressure disturbances into long-period oscillations. This framework establishes a direct connection between laboratory-scale observations and geophysical phenomena, providing new insight into the mechanisms responsible for seismic signals in volcanic and hydrothermal environments.
Recommended Citation
Davis, James E., "Comprehensive Analysis of Dynamics of Fluid-Filled Fractures Using a Photographic-Based Approach", Campus Access Dissertation, Michigan Technological University, 2026.