Time reversal technique for health monitoring of metallic structure using Lamb waves

Time reversal active sensing using Lamb waves is investigated for health monitoring of a metallic structure. Experiments were conducted on an aluminum plate to study the time reversal behavior of A₀ and S₀ Lamb wave modes under narrow band and broad band pulse excitation. Damage in the form of a notch was introduced in the plate to study the changes in the characteristics of the time reversed Lamb wave modes experimentally. Time–frequency analysis of the time reversed signal was carried out to extract the damage information. A measure of damage based on wavelet transform was derived to quantify the hidden damage information in the time reversed signal. It has been shown that time reversal can be used to achieve temporal recompression of Lamb waves under broadband signal excitation. Further, the broad band excitation can also improve the resolution of the technique in detecting closely located defects. This is demonstrated by picking up the reflection of waves from the edge of the plate, from a defect close to the edge of the plate and from defects located near to each other. This study shows the effectiveness of Lamb wave time reversal for temporal recompression of dispersive Lamb waves for damage detection in health monitoring applications.     

基于时间反转理论的聚焦Lamb波结构损伤成像

从理论和实验上研究了时间反转法在频散和多模式的Lamb波结构健康检测方面的应用.当Lamb波在包含有损伤的板类结构中传播时,损伤的存在表现为一个被动波源.采用分布式传感器网络,基于传递函数的观点,通过推导由损伤这个被动波源产生的时间反转波场幅值的表达式,证实了当观察点位于损伤位置时,时间反转波场的幅值最大.为验证时间反转方法的聚焦效应,提出了一种适合于分布的激励/接收传感器网络的成像方法,该方法可以对损伤定位并近似确定损伤尺寸.结合有限元的实验结果显示了Lamb波检测信号的能量可在损伤处聚焦,表明时间反转     

板状结构Lamb波频散补偿与聚焦接收成像检测

对板状结构中Lamb波的频散和多模现象进行了理论分析,采用有限元仿真方法获取了Lamb波与缺陷作用后的回波信号,对信号进行聚焦接收处理,即在一定距离范围内利用导波频散特性对各个模式信号进行频散补偿,提取补偿后信号的幅值,结果表明当所得信号幅值最大时,所对应的补偿距离等于缺陷与换能器之间的实际距离.利用这一结论,提出了以...     

基于有限元的空耦超声相控阵Lamb波激发与检测

基于非接触式空气耦合超声换能器的无损检测技术在常规板材、纤维复合材料、层状结构材料、粘接界面等的检测中有了长足的发展。但是因为空气耦合超声本身的限制,对于如何提高空气声换能器的发射效率和接收灵敏度、提高检测中接收的信噪比成为这一领域的重要课题。因此有必要结合最新的信号处理技术探索新的无损检测形式。本文通过提出了基于电容式的空气声换能器阵列的构建和制作方法,应用有限元数值方法对一维线阵的空气声换能器阵列的动态偏转特性进行了模拟,并使用构建流固耦合模型对二维的空气声场及板材中的位移场进行计算。通过一维空气耦合相控阵的声束动态偏转激励了各向同性板中的Lamb波A₀ 和S₀模式,并进行了分析,验证了此模型可以进一步用于基于空气耦合相控阵激励的Lamb波的无损检测中。     

Chirp excitation of ultrasonic guided waves

Most ultrasonic guided wave methods require tone burst excitations to achieve some degree of mode purity while maintaining temporal resolution. In addition, it is often desirable to acquire data using multiple frequencies, particularly during method development when the best frequency for a specific application is not known. However, this process is inconvenient and time-consuming, particularly if extensive signal averaging at each excitation frequency is required to achieve a satisfactory signal-to-noise ratio. Both acquisition time and data storage requirements may be prohibitive if responses from many narrowband tone burst excitations are measured. Here chirp excitations are utilized to address the need to both test at multiple frequencies and achieve a high signal-to-noise ratio to minimize acquisition time. A broadband chirp is used to acquire data at a wide range of frequencies, and deconvolution is applied to extract multiple narrowband responses. After optimizing the frequency and duration of the desired tone burst excitation, a long-time narrowband chirp is used as the actual excitation, and the desired tone burst response is similarly extracted during post-processing. Results are shown that demonstrate the efficacy of both broadband and narrowband chirp excitations.     

采用单个压电传感器的单模式兰姆波激发频率的选择

考虑了压电传感器(PZT)与板之间的耦合作用,从理论上研究了单个压电传感器激发时产生单模式兰姆波的频率调节方法,实验给出了模式选择在兰姆波结构健康监测中的应用. 在板材、板厚以及PZT尺寸一定的情况下,从理论上能够预测到作为频率函数的各兰姆波模式的幅值变化. 根据某特定兰姆波模式的幅值最大而其他模式幅值相对最小时所对应的频率,即可识别出该兰姆波模式优化的激发频率. 数值仿真验证了理论的有效性以及单模式兰姆波选择的可能性. 在不同的激发频率下,分别激发了优化的A0 模式,优化的S0模式以及共存的A0和S0模 关键词： 兰姆波 压电传感器 激发频率 结构健康监测     

基于时间反演电磁波的微结构天线的单频点超分辨力聚焦研究

提出了在时间反演技术条件下单频的电磁波信号可以实现超分辨力聚焦这一思路,并基于信道理论推导了该思路的可行性;基于传统的同轴探针结构建立了间距为1/4波长的微结构模型,仿真结果证实了该模型结合时间反演技术在单频信号和宽带信号激励时均可以表现出超分辨力聚焦特性,理论分析和仿真结果为单频以及多频带天线的超分辨力聚焦特性的研究提供了重要的指导作用。     

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

This paper proposes a new multichannel time reversal focusing (MTRF) method for circumferential Lamb waves which is based on modified time reversal algorithm and applies this method for detecting different kinds of defects in thick-walled pipe with large-diameter. The principle of time reversal of circumferential Lamb waves in pipe is presented along with the influence from multiple guided wave modes and propagation paths. Experimental study is carried out in a thick-walled and large-diameter pipe with three artificial defects, namely two axial notches on its inner and outer surface respectively, and a corrosion-like defect on its outer surface. By using the proposed MTRF method, the multichannel signals focus at the defects, leading to the amplitude improvement of the defect scattered signal. Besides, another energy focus arises in the direct signal due to the partial compensation of dispersion and multimode of circumferential Lamb waves, alongside the multichannel focusing, during MTRF process. By taking the direct focus as a time base, accurate defect localization is implemented. Secondly, a new phenomenon is exhibited in this paper that defect scattered wave packet appears just before the right boundary of truncation window after time reversal, and to which two feasible explanations are given. Moreover, this phenomenon can be used as the theoretical basis in the determination of defect scattered waves in time reversal response signal. At last, in order to detect defects without prior knowing their exact position, a large-range truncation window is used in the proposed method. As a result, the experimental operation of MTRF method is simplified and defect detection and localization are well accomplished.     

Wideband dispersion removal and mode separation of Lamb waves based on two-component laser interferometer measurement

Ultrasonic Lamb waves are considered as a sensitive and effective tool for nondestructive testing and evaluation of plate-like or pipe-like structures. The nature of multimode and dispersion causes the wave packets to spread, and the modes overlap in both time and frequency domains as they propagate through the structures. By using a two-component laser interferometer technique, in combination with a priori knowledge of the dispersion characteristics and wave structure information of Lamb wave modes, a two-component signal processing technique is presented for implementing dispersion removal and mode separation simultaneously for two modes mixture signals of Lamb waves. The proposed algorithm is first processed and verified using synthetic Lamb wave signals. Then, the two-component displacements test experiment is conducted using different aluminum plate samples. Moreover, we confirm the effectiveness and robustness of this method.     

各向同性板中盲孔缺陷的兰姆波拓扑成像

将拓扑成像用于各向同性板中盲孔缺陷的兰姆波检测。由于缺陷关于板中面是非对称的,兰姆波模式转换的影响不能忽略。成像方法是基于无缺陷参考媒质中两个超声场(直接声场和伴随声场)的计算。以传感器激励信号为声源,计算直接声场;以盲孔引起的兰姆波散射信号为声源,计算伴随声场。拓扑成像通过直接声场与伴随声场的相乘,可消除无缺陷处多模式混叠的干扰,提高成像分辨率。建立有限元模型,通过不同时刻的瞬态声场图可视化地显示多模式兰姆波在缺陷处的聚焦过程,揭示拓扑成像方法的物理机理。数值结果表明,相对于经典的延迟求和以及时间反转方法,拓扑成像对盲孔缺陷有更强的适应能力。即使对于复杂的包含模式转换的兰姆波信号,拓扑图像的质量依然没有受到影响。文中提出的成像方法对板类结构中非对称缺陷的兰姆波检测具有一定的应用潜力。      

Lamb wave topological imaging for blind hole defects in isotropic plates

The research aims at validating the ability of topological imaging to blind holes in isotropic plates using Lamb waves. Due to the defect is not symmetric around the midplane of the plate, the effect of Lamb mode conversion will have to be taken into account.The imaging method is based on two computations of ultrasonic fields, one forward and one adjoint, performed for the defect-free reference medium. The excited signal and scattered Lamb waves caused by the blind hole, are used as emitting sources to compute the forward problem and the adjoint problem, respectively. With the help of the finite element simulations,the natural refocusing process of the multimode Lamb waves at the defect location is visually demonstrated by the transient acoustic field snapshots at the different moments to strengthen the physical mechanism of the topological imaging method. The numerical results demonstrate that topological imaging has relatively stronger applicability to the blind hole in contrast to classical Delay And Sum(DAS) method and Time Reversal(TR) method. The topological imaging could handle complex Lamb wave signals containing mode conversions without the imaging quality being affected. The proposed imaging method presents a certain developing potential for detecting and imaging asymmetric defects in plate-like configurations using Lamb waves.     

Time reversal in dynamically tuned zero-gap periodic systems

We show that short pulses propagating in zero-gap periodic systems can be reversed with 100% efficiency by using weak nonadiabatic tuning of the wave velocity at time scales that can be much slower than the period. Unlike previous schemes, we demonstrate reversal of broadband (few cycle) pulses with simple structures. Our scheme may thus open the way to time reversal in a variety of systems for which it was not accessible before.     

Imaging of human tooth using ultrasound based chirp-coded nonlinear time reversal acoustics

Human tooth imaging sonography is investigated experimentally with an acousto-optic noncoupling set-up based on the chirp-coded nonlinear time reversal acoustic concept. The complexity of the tooth internal structure (enamel-dentine interface, cracks between internal tubules) is analyzed by adapting the nonlinear elastic wave spectroscopy (NEWS) with the objective of the tomography of damage. Optimization of excitations using intrinsic symmetries, such as time reversal (TR) invariance, reciprocity, correlation properties are then proposed and implemented experimentally. The proposed medical application of this TR-NEWS approach is implemented on a third molar human tooth and constitutes an alternative of noncoupling echodentography techniques. A 10 MHz bandwidth ultrasonic instrumentation has been developed including a laser vibrometer and a 20 MHz contact piezoelectric transducer. The calibrated chirp-coded TR-NEWS imaging of the tooth is obtained using symmetrized excitations, pre- and post-signal processing, and the highly sensitive 14 bit resolution TR-NEWS instrumentation previously calibrated. Nonlinear signature coming from the symmetry properties is observed experimentally in the tooth using this bi-modal TR-NEWS imaging after and before the focusing induced by the time-compression process. The TR-NEWS polar B-scan of the tooth is described and suggested as a potential application for modern echodentography. It constitues the basis of the self-consistent harmonic imaging sonography for monitoring cracks propagation in the dentine, responsible of human tooth structural health.     

Role of attention in overshoot: frequency certainty versus uncertainty

Overshoot, the elevation in the threshold for a brief signal that comes on close to masker onset, was measured with signal frequency certain (same frequency on every trial) or uncertain (randomized over trials). In broadband noise, thresholds were higher 2 ms after masker onset than 200 ms later, by 9 dB with frequency certainty, by 6-7 dB with uncertainty. In narrowband noise centered on the signal frequency, thresholds at 2 ms were not elevated with certainty, but were elevated 4-5 dB with uncertainty. Thus, frequency uncertainty leads to less overshoot in broadband noise, to more overshoot in narrowband noise. Reduced overshoot in broadband noise may come about because the masker, given its many frequencies, disrupts focusing at onset as much under certainty as uncertainty. Once the initial disruption dissipates, threshold is lower with certainty so overshoot is greater. In contrast, a narrowband noise with frequencies only near the signal does not disrupt focusing when the signal frequency is known beforehand, so overshoot is absent. When frequency is uncertain, the narrowband noise serves to focus attention on the signal frequency; as this requires time, detection near noise onset is poorer than later on, so overshoot is present.     

兰姆波结构健康监测中的概率损伤成像

应用概率成像方法对兰姆波结构健康监测中板的损伤进行识别。根据兰姆波损伤散射信号的传播时间以及传感器网络中一对发射-接收传感器的空间位置来确定一个椭圆轨迹,该轨迹显示了损伤可能出现的位置。将监测区域均匀网格化,计算各网格节点到椭圆轨迹的最短距离,将此距离映射为损伤出现的概率。采用灰度等级对所有网格节点处的概率值进行量化,则由每一个发射接收传感器对就确定了一个灰度图像。为了突出损伤,应用图像融合技术对传感器网络中所有发射接收传感器对所构成的灰度图像进行融合。对铝板中横穿孔损伤的实验结果显示了该方法能够有效地确定损伤的位置和范围,有助于推动兰姆波结构健康监测的实用化。      

基于弹性波超表面的Lamb波透射调控

根据广义Snell定律,该文提出了一种新型曲梁型弹性波超表面结构。通过该结构对入射波进行相位调制,实现了板中Lamb波(A0模态)的异常透射调控,从而实现了波的负折射、非对称传输、声聚焦等功能。进一步的研究结果显示,若将该类超表面结构贴置在完整的铝板表面,通过引入吸声材料(阻尼),在保证薄板完整性的同时,可以起到显著消除薄板和超表面透射波场叠加的作用。该方法实现了对完整板结构Lamb波透射方向的有效调控,也为弹性波超表面提供了新的研究思路。     

Micro-crack detection of nonlinear Lamb wave propagation in three-dimensional plates with mixed-frequency excitation

We propose a nonlinear ultrasonic technique by using the mixed-frequency signals excited Lamb waves to conduct micro-crack detection in thin plate structures. Simulation models of three-dimensional(3D) aluminum plates and composite laminates are established by ABAQUS software, where the aluminum plate contains buried crack and composite laminates comprises cohesive element whose thickness is zero to simulate delamination damage. The interactions between the S_0 mode Lamb wave and the buried micro-cracks of various dimensions are simulated by using the finite element method.Fourier frequency spectrum analysis is applied to the received time domain signal and fundamental frequency amplitudes,and sum and difference frequencies are extracted and simulated. Simulation results indicate that nonlinear Lamb waves have different sensitivities to various crack sizes. There is a positive correlation among crack length, height, and sum and difference frequency amplitudes for an aluminum plate, with both amplitudes decreasing as crack thickness increased, i.e.,nonlinear effect weakens as the micro-crack becomes thicker. The amplitudes of sum and difference frequency are positively correlated with the length and width of the zero-thickness cohesive element in the composite laminates. Furthermore,amplitude ratio change is investigated and it can be used as an effective tool to detect inner defects in thin 3D plates.     

时间反演电磁波在金属丝阵列媒质中的超分辨率聚焦

本文利用一种已有的金属丝阵列结构, 验证了时间反演技术的时空聚焦特性, 并证明了在该阵列结构中, 时间反演电磁波具有超分辨率聚焦特性. 利用金属丝阵列能为凋落波提供传播渠道这一特性, 通过改变信号对时间反演镜的激励方式, 得到了多种亚波长异地成像的仿真结果. 本文的分析和仿真结果证实了利用时间反演技术, 可以采用传统的材料和设备, 在远场实现超分辨率聚焦成像, 并能在多个位置实现对源信号的提取和分析. 关键词： 时间反演 金属丝阵列 超分辨率聚焦 异地成像     

压电晶片传感器监测金属薄板的腐蚀

激励压电晶片传感器产生Lamb波并用于监测金属板材的腐蚀,由信号的相关系数表征腐蚀对在板中Lamb波传播特性的影响。实验结果表明在Lamb波模态中A₀模式受腐蚀影响大,适合用于监测金属的腐蚀。Lamb波通过腐蚀区域后由于频散以及信号幅度和相位的变化对采集的损伤信号与健康状态信号的相关系数有影响。在腐蚀区域直径一定的情况下,对应的相关系数并不随腐蚀深度的增加而单调递减;在腐蚀深度一定时,相关系数随腐蚀区域直径增加而单调递减。     

Flaw localization using the reassigned spectrogram on laser-generated and detected Lamb modes

Rapid, accurate inspection of metallic plates using broadband guided waves has traditionally been limited by the multi-mode, highly dispersive nature of these waves; current practice typically restricts either the type of mode generated or detected, and/or its frequency range. The current study presents an effective alternative procedure by combining a novel digital signal processing technique, the reassigned spectrogram, with laser generated and detected Lamb waves. The reassigned spectrogram is used to characterize the modal and frequency content of a single ultrasonic signal as a function of time, enabling a procedure to locate flaws in an aluminum plate specimen.