Mechanical Engineering
GRADUATE SEMINAR
NOTICE OF 2nd PhD SEMINAR PRESENTATION
CANDIDATE: Theodore Tran
DEGREE SOUGHT: PHD
DATE: 1/9/2026
TIME: 10:30am
LOCATION: Room 1102 CEI
TITLE: Multi-Mechanism Q-Factor Optimization in MEMS Disk Resonator Gyroscopes through Elliptical Spoke Geometry and Advanced Loss Modeling
Abstract
The performance of MEMS disk resonator gyroscopes (DRGs) is critically determined by their mechanical quality factor (Q), which directly affects noise floor, bias stability, and sensitivity. This research introduces an elliptical spoke design aimed at minimizing thermoelastic damping (TED), anchor loss, and air damping through targeted geometric optimization. Unlike conventional rectangular spokes, elliptical spokes redistribute strain more smoothly, shifting the TED peak away from the operating frequency and improving QTED.
All Graduate Students are invited to attend