A new multichannel time reversal focusing method for circumferential Lamb waves and its applications for defect detection in thick-walled pipe with large-diameter

Directional Multifrequency Guided Waves Communications Using Discrete Frequency-Steerable Acoustic Transducers

A novel directional transducer based on guided waves (GWs) is introduced in this article, designed for use in structural health monitoring (SHM) and acoustic data communication applications, i.e., systems in which the elastic medium serves as a transmission channel and information is conveyed through the medium via elastic waves. Such systems can overcome difficulties associated with traditional communication methods like wire-based or radio frequency (RF), which can be complex and have limitations in harsh environments or hard-to-reach places. However, the development of these techniques is hampered by GW dispersive and multimodal propagation and by multipath interference. The shortcomings can be effectively addressed by employing frequency steerable acoustic transducers (FSATs), which leverage their inherent directional capabilities. This can be achieved through the exploitation of a frequency-dependent spatial filtering effect, yielding a direct correlation between the frequency content of the transmitted or received signals and the direction of propagation. The proposed transducer is designed to actuate or sense the A0 Lamb wave propagating in three orientations using varying frequencies and has three channels with distinct frequencies for each direction, ranging from 50 to 450 kHz. The transducer performance was verified through finite element (FE) simulations, accompanied by experimental testing using a scanning laser Doppler vibrometer (SLDV). The unique frequency-steering capability of FSATs is combined with the ON-OFF keying (OOK) modulation scheme to achieve frequency directivity in hardware, similar to ongoing research in 5G communications. The multiple-in-multiple-out (MIMO) capabilities of the transducer were finally tested over a thin aluminum plate, showing excellent agreement with the FE simulation results.

An Efficient Damage Quantification Method for Cylindrical Structures Enhanced by a Dry-Point-Contact Torsional-Wave Transducer

Quantification of damage sizes in cylindrical structures such as pipes and rods is of paramount importance in various industries. This work proposes an efficient damage quantification method by using a dry-point-contact (DPC) transducer based on the non-dispersive torsional waves in the low-frequency range. Theoretical analyses are first carried out to investigate the torsional wave interaction with different sizes of defects in cylindrical structures. A damage quantification algorithm is designed based on the wave reflections from the defect and end. Capitalizing on multiple excitations at different frequencies, the proposed algorithm constructs a damage image that identifies the geometric parameters of the defects. Numerical simulations are conducted to validate the characteristics of the theoretically-predicted wave-damage interaction analyses as well as the feasibility of the designed damage quantification method. Using the DPC transducer, experiments are efficiently carried out with a simple physical system. The captured responses are first assessed to confirm the capability of the DPC transducer for generating and sensing torsional waves. The sizes of the defects in two representative steel rods are then quantified with the proposed method. Both numerical and experimental results demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed damage quantification method. The understandings of the wave-damage interaction and the concept of the damage quantification algorithm lay out the foundation for engineering applications.

Quantitative defect inspection in the curved composite structure using the modified probabilistic tomography algorithm and fusion of damage index

The curved composite structures are popularly used in the aerospace field for their superior properties. Complexity of structure and geometry generally limit the inspection or monitoring effect of different types of defects in the curved composite structure. A feasible damage probabilistic tomography algorithm combined with ultrasonic guided wave technology is necessary to be developed for the structural health monitoring of curved composite structures. In this paper, defect zones in a curved composite structure are characterized using the modified probabilistic tomography (MPT) method and fusion of damage index (DI). The MPT with the defect shape factor β_M at each damage-impaired path and hybrid DI schemes are proposed to indicate the location and propagation of defect zones in tested sample. The feasibility of proposed approaches is verified on the curved carbon/epoxy composite structure, experimentally. The results show that the MPT and fusion DI methods successfully represent the extension of defect zones in a quantitative manner. It is suggested that the accuracy and reliability of localization results of the MPT algorithm is better than those obtained by the probabilistic tomography (PT) algorithm with the averaged β.

Weld quality inspection of small-diameter thin-walled pipes by a laser ultrasonic method

Defect inspection of small-diameter thin-walled pipes is a difficult problem in the field of nondestructive testing. In this paper, a new detection method based on laser ultrasonics and guided circumferential wave technology is proposed and used to inspect the defects in pipes. First, a theoretical model based on the theory of acoustic propagation in solids is proposed for the small-diameter thin-walled pipes. The dispersion characteristics of the guided circumferential waves of thin-walled pipes are obtained by numerical simulation. Second, a laser ultrasonic system is constructed and used to detect the flaws in the small-diameter thin-walled pipes. Finally, the laser ultrasonic system is used to analyze the welding quality of stainless steel pipes with a diameter of 4.20 mm and a wall thickness of 0.30 mm. The experimental results are in agreement with the theoretical analysis, which demonstrates the reliability and practicability of the laser ultrasonic method in the weld quality inspection of small-diameter thin-walled pipes.

Applications of a nanocomposite-inspired in-situ broadband ultrasonic sensor to acousto-ultrasonics-based passive and active structural health monitoring

A novel nanocomposite-inspired in-situ broadband ultrasonic sensor previously developed, with carbon black as the nanofiller and polyvinylidene fluoride as the matrix, was networked for acousto-ultrasonic wave-based passive and active structural health monitoring (SHM). Being lightweight and small, this kind of sensor was proven to be capable of perceiving strain perturbation in virtue of the tunneling effect in the formed nanofiller conductive network when acousto-ultrasonic waves traverse the sensor. Proof-of-concept validation was implemented, to examine the sensor performance in responding to acousto-ultrasonic waves in a broad frequency regime: from acoustic emission (AE) of lower frequencies to guided ultrasonic waves (GUWs) of higher frequencies. Results have demonstrated the high fidelity, ultrafast response and high sensitivity of the sensor to acousto-ultrasonic waves up to 400kHz yet with an ultra-low magnitude (of the order of micro-strain). The sensor is proven to possess sensitivity and accuracy comparable with commercial piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers, whereas with greater flexibility in accommodating curved structural surfaces. Application paradigms of using the sensor for damage evaluation have spotlighted the capability of the sensor in compromising "sensing cost" with "sensing effectiveness" for passive AE- or active GUW-based SHM.

Time Reversal Method for Guided Waves with Multimode and Multipath on Corrosion Defect Detection in Wire

This study identified depths of artificial pitting corrosion on the galvanized steel wires, frequently used in bridge cables, based on the time reversal method (TRM). Specifically, the multimode longitudinal ultrasonic guided waves are excited in terms of characteristics of radical distribution of the normalized average energy flow density (NAPFD) in a wire. Furthermore, the complex defect scattered signals are difficult to interpret, which are attributed to multimode, multipath and dispersion, but are considered to enhance the focused energy through the TRM while the different depths of defect are explicitly identified by the normalized amplitudes of reconstructed wave packets. Finally, in contrast to the traditional monitoring approach relying on the amplitude of defect echo, the proposed method in this study is demonstrated to have a higher sensitivity to recognize the progressive increase of corrosion depth.