Abstract
Angular acceleration was implicated as a cause of brain injury, beginning with the theory by Holbourn (1943) and the extensive research conducted by Ommaya and Hirsch (1971), Ommaya et al. (1967), and Gennarelli et al. (1982). The concept of angular acceleration was proposed by Sir Isaac Newton in the 1680s (Newton’s Principia) where he laid down the laws of motion. However, Newton did not say how this quantity could be measured. In 2-D, the measurement is accomplished by using a pair of linear accelerometers placed a known distance apart and facing the same direction (Mertz 1967). For 3-D motion, many schemes have been proposed (see, e.g., Kane 1968). It turns out that all of the schemes can potentially yield unreliable results even though the equations used are sophisticated. In this chapter, the traditional method is first described and is shown to be numerically unstable. Then a different scheme is introduced to show that it is numerically stable but requires more sensors.
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Appendices
Questions for Chapter 5
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5.1.
A reliable method for the measurement of angular acceleration, using linear accelerometers, was invented by:
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[ ] (i)
Sir Isaac Newton
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[ ] (ii)
Prof Kane at Stanford University
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[ ] (iii)
Guy Nusholtz at the University of Michigan
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[ ] (iv)
Researchers in biomechanics at Wayne State University
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[ ] (v)
Researchers at the Naval Biodynamics Lab in New Orleans
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[ ] (i)
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5.2.
When using linear accelerometers to measure angular acceleration
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[ ] (i)
It is better to use the 3-2-2-2 configuration than the three triaxial configuration
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[ ] (ii)
The accelerometers must have low cross-talk sensitivity
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[ ] (iii)
The accelerometer calibration should not change with frequency content of the impact pulse
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[ ] (iv)
A new six-accelerometer method is now available without having to integrate the equations
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[ ] (v)
All of the above
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[ ] (i)
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5.3.
The major difference between using 9 accelerometers in the 3-2-2-2 configuration instead of the 6 accelerometers to measure angular acceleration is:
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[ ] (i)
Minimization of error because the extra measurements can be used to check the computation
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[ ] (ii)
The angular acceleration can be computed from algebraic instead of differential equations
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[ ] (iii)
There is no accumulation of error during the computational process
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[ ] (iv)
(i) and (iii)
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[ ] (v)
(ii) and (iii)
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[ ] (i)
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5.4.
To verify an angular acceleration measurement, it is necessary to integrate the data twice to obtain angular displacement to compare this displacement with that measured by a different method, such as an optical method. The integration of
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[ ] (i)
Angular acceleration to angular velocity cannot be done directly because angular velocity is non-commutative and special methods are needed to perform this integration
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[ ] (ii)
Angular velocity to angular displacement cannot be done directly because angular displacement is non-commutative and special methods are needed to perform this integration
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[ ] (iii)
Angular acceleration to angular velocity and that of angular velocity to angular displacement can be done directly because they are both commutative and no special methods are needed
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[ ] (iv)
Angular velocity to angular displacement can be done directly because angular displacement is commutative and no special methods are needed to perform this integration
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[ ] (v)
None of the above
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[ ] (i)
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5.5.
When angular acceleration is measured with only 6 accelerometers, the resulting equations in terms of the angular velocity components are nonlinear ordinary differential equations. Numerical solution of these nonlinear equations can result in instability of the computed angular acceleration because
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[ ] (i)
The differential equations have unstable solutions
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[ ] (ii)
The errors in measurement accumulate over time as the integration progresses
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[ ] (iii)
The errors propagate because the numerical subroutine used to integrate the equations is unstable
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[ ] (iv)
(i) and (iii)
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[ ] (v)
None of the above
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[ ] (i)
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5.6.
The use of three triaxial accelerometers to measure angular acceleration is less reliable than the use of the 3-2-2-2 configuration of linear accelerometers because
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[ ] (i)
The triaxial method still requires integration of nonlinear differential equations
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[ ] (ii)
The use of the three additional accelerometers in the triaxial configuration to check the computed angular acceleration from the other 6 accelerometers can still result in error accumulation
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[ ] (iii)
It is not possible to align the triaxial accelerometers accurately
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[ ] (iv)
(i) and (ii)
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[ ] (v)
(i) and (iii)
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[ ] (i)
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5.7.
When linear accelerometers are used to measure angular acceleration, it is important that these transducers:
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[ ] (i)
Have a steady zero baseline which does not drift with time
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[ ] (ii)
Have low cross-talk sensitivity
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[ ] (iii)
Respond linearly to increase in linear acceleration
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[ ] (iv)
Have adequate frequency response to handle short duration impacts
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[ ] (v)
All of the above
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[ ] (i)
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5.8.
An accurate and reliable alternate method of measuring angular acceleration is the:
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[ ] (i)
Use of an angular accelerometer which yields this value directly
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[ ] (ii)
Use of an angular velocity transducer and differentiating the data to yield angular acceleration
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[ ] (iii)
Use of a high-speed video camera at 1000 frames per second and differentiating the angular displacement twice
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[ ] (iv)
Use of intersecting laser techniques to obtain angular acceleration directly
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[ ] (v)
None of the above
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[ ] (i)
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5.9.
Linear accelerometer manufacturers calibrate their accelerometers against a standard accelerometer using:
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[ ] (i)
A shaker table
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[ ] (ii)
Optical methods
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[ ] (iii)
Rate table tests
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[ ] (iv)
Drop tests
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[ ] (v)
All of the above
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[ ] (i)
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5.10.
The major difference between using 9 accelerometers in the 3-2-2-2 configuration instead of the 6 accelerometers to measure angular acceleration is:
-
[ ] (i)
Minimization of error because the extra measurements can be used to check the computation
-
[ ] (ii)
The angular acceleration can be computed from algebraic instead of differential equations
-
[ ] (iii)
There is no accumulation of error during the computational process
-
[ ] (iv)
(ii) and (iii)
-
[ ] (v)
(i) and (ii)
-
[ ] (i)
Answers to Problems by Chapter
Prob | Ans |
---|---|
1 | (iv) |
2 | (v) |
3 | (v) |
4 | (ii) |
5 | (ii) |
6 | (iv) |
7 | (v) |
8 | (i) |
9 | (i) |
10 | (iv) |
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King, A.I. (2018). Measurement of Angular Acceleration. In: The Biomechanics of Impact Injury. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49792-1_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49792-1_5
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