Advances in Adaptive Ultrasonics

Dr Andrew Feeney graduated with a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering with honours of the first class, from the University of Glasgow in the United Kingdom in 2010. He then pursued a PhD in mechanical engineering at the same institution, investigating the incorporation of the shape memory alloy Nitinol in flextensional cymbal transducers, for the eventual development of tuneable ultrasonic devices. It was this research that has laid the groundwork for the content of this book. In 2020, Dr Feeney joined the Centre for Medical and Industrial Ultrasonics as Lecturer / Assistant Professor in the James Watt School of Engineering at the University of Glasgow, before being promoted to Senior Lecturer / Associate Professor in 2023. Dr Feeney leads the Adaptive Ultrasonics (Adaptus) Research Group, which tackles key challenges in engineering adaptive ultrasonic devices and systems for a new generation of intelligent, multifunctional, and tuneable medical and industrial technologies. The Adaptus Research Group undertakes fundamental research on advanced materials, principally those which exhibit shape memory behaviour, and metamaterials. Dr Feeney’s research group focuses on the integration of these materials with a broad range of acoustic and ultrasonic devices, and electromechanical systems, in order to tailor and optimise dynamic performance. The Adaptus Research Group is centred around four principal themes, comprising shape memory alloys and metamaterials, medical devices, industrial sensors and actuators, and sustainable manufacturing. Dr Feeney’s research group comprises several postdoctoral researchers and doctoral students, and his research is funded by grants from a combination of UK Research and Innovation, European Research Council, and industry, in the order of millions GBP. At the time of publication, Dr Feeney is a Chartered Engineer and Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and a Member of the Institution of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). He has published over 50 peer reviewed journal and conference articles, is a regular peer reviewer of the major journals in the field of ultrasonics, ferroelectrics, mechatronics, and interdisciplinary science, and he is a reviewer of grant proposals for UK Research and Innovation, principally the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

1. A Brief Overview of Ultrasonics 2. The Evolution of Adaptive Ultrasonics 3. Design and Fabrication Considerations for Ultrasonic Transducers 4. The Material Challenge 5. The Road to Intelligence 6. Modern Practice 7. Bibliography 8. Appendices