The effect of pipe bend on low-frequency longitudinal mode guided wave propagation

The pipe bend significantly changes the propagation characteristics of guided wave,and makes the interpretation of the received signals difficult.Therefore,better understanding of guided wave propagating in bended pipe is essential for the inspection of pipeline comprising bends.First of all,the different features of dispersion curves derived with the semi-analytical finite element method for guided wave in bended pipes are summarized.Secondly,based on the dispersion curves for guided wave in bended pipes,experiments are performed to investigate the mode conversions of L(0,1) mode guided wave traveling through pipe bends.It is found that,except for the mode conversion from L(0,1) to F(1,1),the L(0,1) reflections of bends are also observed in some cases,which are proven to be the mode converted negative L(0,1)mode guided wave,and the negative L(0,1) mode guided wave becomes more obvious with the decrease of excitation frequency and bending radius.The findings of this paper will provide some insight for guided wave behavior in bended pipe,and generalize the application of guided wave inspection in practical pipelines.     

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.     

Circumferential and longitudinal defect detection using T(0,1) mode excited by thickness shear mode piezoelectric elements

Different kinds of defects, such as corrosions, notches and cracks etc, exist in pipes. Mode choice is important since unfortunately not all ultrasonic guided wave modes are suitable for these kinds of defect detection. T(0,1) mode which is non-dispersive is the lowest and fastest torsional mode and most suitable for defect detection in pipes. Two completely different artificial defects including longitudinal and circumferential defects are processed successively in a 4-m-long, 60-mm-OD, 3.5-mm-wall steel pipe. T(0,1) mode at 45 kHz is excited to detect these defects using thickness shear mode piezoelectric elements. Experimental results show that two kinds of defects are detectable using T(0,1) mode. Comparing with longitudinal modes, torsional modes are dominant in pipe inspection for their sensitivities to different kinds of defects.     

Propagation phenomena of wideband guided waves in a bended pipe

Ultrasonic guided waves in pipes have been anticipated as a rapid screening technique for pipe inspection because of their long-range propagation due to low energy leakage. In this paper, the propagation phenomena of guided waves in a bended pipe were investigated using a wideband laser ultrasonic system. The laser ultrasonic system, together with wavelet transformation, is a powerful tool for observing the dispersive phenomena intrinsic to guided waves. Bended stainless steel (SUS304) pipes with 6-mm outer diameter and 1-mm wall thickness were used in the experiments. The bending angles of the pipes were set to 0 degrees (straight pipe), 10 degrees, 30 degrees, 60 degrees and 90 degrees. The radius of the bend was 12.5 mm in all the pipes. A Q-switched Nd:YAG laser was employed to generate the guided waves. The generated guided waves were detected with a heterodyne interferometer. The obtained time-domain signals and their wavelet coefficients indicated the following two conclusions: (1) The amplitude of the F(1,1) mode converted from the L(0,1) mode increased with the increase of the bending angle. (2) Mode conversions from the L(0,1) to F(1,1) modes and vice versa were clearly observed in the low-frequency range up to around 200 kHz.     

管道弯头对低频纵向导波传播特性影响分析

管道弯头显著改变了导波传播特性,影响了对检测信号的解读,研究弯头对导波传播特性的影响是实现复杂管道系统导波检测的基础。采用半解析有限元法计算弯管导波频散曲线,分析了弯管导波频散曲线所呈现的不同特征,并基于弯管导波频散曲线,以低频L(0,1)模态导波为研究对象,实验研究了低频L(0,1)模态导波通过管道弯头时的模态变换特征。研究结果发现,当L(0,1)模态导波通过管道弯头时,不仅会发生L(0,1)到F(1,1)的模态变换,还会模态变换出反向L(0,1)模态导波,即弯头反射现象,且随着激励频率的降低和弯头弯曲半径的减小,弯头反射现象愈发明显。研究结果将深化对弯管导波传播特性的认识,推动导波检测技术在复杂管道系统检测中的应用。      

北极冰-水耦合系统中声波传播特性

利用固体和流体介质中波传播理论,导出了冰-水两层复合结构中导波频散方程。进一步,利用二分法对频散方程进行了数值求解,得到了ω-k频散曲线(ω与k分别为圆频率和波数),以及相速度和群速度频散曲线。结果表明:冰-水两层复合结构中导波由具有相同厚度水层和冰层中导波耦合而成,但与水层和冰层中导波频散曲线相比,复合结构中导波频散曲线除第1阶模式外,其余高阶模式均发生了很大变化。从原水层第1阶模式的截止频率开始,复合结构第2阶模式的相速度曲线被压低,各高阶(大于2阶)模式的相速度曲线出现一个跃变点,群速度曲线出现一个极大和一个极小值。水层越厚,复合结构各高阶模式的截止频率越低,相同频带内导波模式越丰富。水层厚度保持不变时,复合结构各阶模式的相速度和群速度曲线均随冰层厚度的增加而向低频方向移动。另外,还进一步分析了冰-水复合结构的导波波结构,发现第1阶导波模式的能量主要集中在冰层内和海表面附近,而2阶以上高阶导波模式的振动位移幅度随深度方向呈现周期性特征,并且模式阶数越高,振动越复杂。      

无限流体中孔隙介质圆柱周向导波的传播特性

为研究无限大流体约束的孔隙圆柱中周向导波的传播规律,分析孔隙参数对导波传播特性的影响,建立了无限流体中孔隙介质圆柱的理论模型,利用孔隙介质弹性波动理论,建立了周向导波频散方程,通过数值模拟计算得到无限流体中孔隙介质圆柱的频散曲线,探讨了圆柱半径和孔隙参数对导波传播特性的影响,并对导波的衰减特性进行了分析;通过数值计算,得到了周向导波的时域波形,讨论了孔隙参数对波形的影响.结果表明,孔隙介质圆柱半径的改变影响圆柱尺度,孔隙度的改变影响孔隙介质中体声波的波速,都对周向导波频散曲线产生一定的影响,所得到的频散曲线特征及衰减曲线与时域波形吻合.研究结果对开展无限流体中孔隙介质圆柱的超声无损评价提供了一定的理论参考.     

Characterization of mechanical and geometrical properties of a tube with axial and circumferential guided waves

Guided waves propagating in cylindrical tubes are frequently applied for the characterization of material or geometrical properties of tubes. In a tube, guided waves can propagate in the axial direction and called axial guided waves, or in the circumferential direction called circumferential guided waves. Dispersion spectra for the axial and circumferential guided waves share some common behaviors and however exhibit some particular behaviors of their own. This study provides an investigation with theoretical modeling, experimental measurements, and a simplex-based inversion procedure to explore the similarity and difference between the axial guided waves and circumferential guided waves, aiming at providing useful information while axial and circumferential guided waves are applied in the area of material characterization. The sensitivity to the radius curvature for the circumferential guided waves dispersion spectra is a major point that makes circumferential guided waves different from axial guided waves. For the purpose of material characterization, both axial and circumferential guided waves are able to extract an elastic moduli and wall-thickness information from the dispersion spectra, however, radius information can only be extracted from the circumferential guided waves spectra.     

Guided Waves in a Multi-Layered Cylindrical Elastic Solid Medium

We investigate the guided waves in a multi-layered cylindrical elastic solid medium. The dispersion function of guided waves is usually complex and the dispersion curves of all modes are not conveniently obtained. Here we present an effective method to obtain the dispersion curves of all modes. First, the dispersion function of the guided waves is transformed into a real function. The dispersion curves are then calculated for all the modes of the guided waves by the bisection method. The modes with the orders n = 0, 1, and 2 are analysed in two- and three-layer media. The existence condition of Stoneley wave is discussed. The modes of the guided waves are also investigated in a two-layer medium, in which the velocity of shear wave in the outer layer is less than that in the inner layer.     

Characterization of mechanical properties of a hollow cylinder with zero group velocity Lamb modes

Hollow cylinders used in the industry must be regularly inspected. Elastic guided waves, similar to Lamb modes in a plate, can propagate in the axial direction or around the circumference. They are sensitive to geometrical and mechanical parameters of the cylindrical shell. The objective of this paper is to show that zero group velocity (ZGV) Lamb modes can be used to bring out anisotropy and to measure elastic constants of the material. This study provides experimental and numerical investigations on a Zirconium alloy tube extensively used by the nuclear industry in reactor core components. A non-contact method, based on laser ultrasound techniques and ZGV Lamb modes, demonstrates that the difference observed between axial and circumferential guided waves cannot be explained by an isotropic model. Then, a transverse isotropic model is used for the Zircaloy tube. Four of the five elastic constants are directly extracted from ZGV resonance frequencies. The last one is deduced from the measured dispersion spectra. With this complete set of constants, a good agreement is obtained between theoretical and experimental dispersion curves for both axially and circumferentially propagating guided waves.     

Circumferential thermoelastic waves in orthotropic cylindrical curved plates without energy dissipation

In this article, the propagation of guided thermoelastic waves in the circumferential direction of orthotropic cylindrical curved plates subjected to stress-free, isothermal boundary conditions is investigated in the context of the Green-Naghdi (GN) generalized thermoelastic theory (without energy dissipation). The coupled wave equations and heat conduction equation are solved by the Legendre orthogonal polynomial series expansion approach. The convergency of the method is discussed through a numerical example. The dispersion curves of thermal modes and elastic modes are illustrated simultaneously. Dispersion curves of the corresponding pure elastic cylindrical plate are also shown to analyze the influence of the thermoelasticity on elastic modes. The displacement, temperature and stress distributions are shown to discuss the differences between the elastic modes and thermal modes. A thermoelastic cylindrical plate with a different ratio of radius to thickness is considered to discuss the influence of the ratio on the characteristics of circumferential thermoelastic waves.     

The reflection of the fundamental torsional mode from cracks and notches in pipes

A quantitative study of the reflection of the T(0,1) mode from defects in pipes in the frequency range 10-300 kHz has been carried out, finite element predictions being validated by experiments on selected cases. Both cracklike defects with zero axial extent and notches with varying axial extents have been considered. The results show that the reflection coefficient from axisymmetric cracks increases monotonically with depth at all frequencies and increases with frequency at any given depth. In the frequency range of interest there is no mode conversion at axisymmetric defects. With nonaxisymmetric cracks, the reflection coefficient is a roughly linear function of the circumferential extent of the defect at relatively high frequencies, the reflection coefficient at low circumferential extents falling below the linear prediction at lower frequencies. With nonaxisymmetric defects, mode conversion to the F(1,2) mode is generally seen, and at lower frequencies the F(1,3) mode is also produced. The depth and circumferential extent are the parameters controlling the reflection from cracks; when notches having finite axial extent, rather than cracks, are considered, interference between the reflections from the start and the end of the notch causes a periodic variation of the reflection coefficient as a function of the axial extent of the notch. The results have been explained in terms of the wave-number-defect size product, ka. Low frequency scattering behavior is seen when ka < 0.1, high frequency scattering characteristics being seen when ka > 1.     

Guided circumferential waves in orthotropic cylindrical curved plate and the mode conversion by the end-reflection

In ultrasonic nondestructive inspection of large-diameter pipes and curved plate, longitudinal cracks are detected more efficiently by using guided circumferential waves. In the present, the study of guided circumferential waves and their application in detecting longitudinal defect were relative adequate when pipe material is isotropic. Based on linear three-dimensional elasticity, an orthogonal polynomial series expansions approach is used for determining the guided circumferential waves dispersion curves in homogeneous infinitely long orthotropic hollow cylinders. Results are compared with those published earlier and with the finite element simulation to check up the accuracy and range of applicability of this polynomial approach. Through the analysis of the displacements distributions and finite element simulation, the mode conversion of guided circumferential waves by end-reflection in cylindrical curved plate is discovered.     

Edge resonance in semi-infinite thick pipe: numerical predictions and measurements

This paper presents theoretical and experimental studies of axisymmetric longitudinal guided wave L(0,2) interaction with the free edge of the pipe. A numerical method based on normal mode superposition is applied to predict the edge resonance by an analysis of dispersion relations of separate modes. In parallel, the finite element analysis and experimental measurements prove the existence of edge resonance in the pipe in case of L(0,2) wave incidence. It is shown that the edge resonance is mainly caused by the first pair of complex modes. Additionally the behavior of edge resonance phenomenon as a function of the curvature of the pipe is studied. The displacement amplitudes measured at the edge demonstrate that the edge resonance is affected by the frequency and thickness to midradius ratio of the pipe, and it is losing its strength in thicker pipes, as the growing difference between the outer and inner radii destroys symmetry. The reflected energy amplitudes show that at the resonance frequencies the incident wave is strongly converted to L(0,1) and L(0,3) modes, depending also on the curvature parameter of the pipe.     

Rayleigh wave and detection of low-velocity layers in a stratified half-space

The excitation and propagation of the guided waves in a stratified half-space and a Rayleigh wave exploration method in shallow engineering seismic exploration are studied in this paper. All the modes of the guided waves are calculated by the bisection method in the case where the low velocity layers are contained in a stratified half-space. Cases when the formation shear wave velocity gradually decreases from the top to the bottom layers are also studied. The dispersion curves obtained in actual Rayleigh wave exploration are usually noncontinual zigzag curves, but the dispersion curves given by the elastic theory for given modes of the guided waves are smooth and continual curves. In this paper, the mechanism of zigzag dispersion curves in Rayleigh wave exploration is investigated and analyzed thoroughly. The zigzag dispersion curves can give not only the possible positions of the low-velocity layers but also the other information on the formation structure (fractures, oil, gas, etc.). It is found that the zigzag dispersion curves of the Rayleigh wave are the result of the leap of the modes and the existence of low velocity layers in a stratified half-space. The effects of the compressional wave velocity, shear wave velocity, and density of each layer on zigzag dispersion curves and the relationship of the low velocity layers to zigzag dispersion curves are also investigated in detail. Finally, the exploration depth of the Rayleigh wave is discussed. The exploration depth of the Rayleigh wave is equal to the wavelength multiplied by a coefficient that is variable and usually given by the work experience and the formation properties of the local work area.     

管道结构中的类兰姆波层析成像

理论和实验上研究了层析成像在管道结构导波检测中的适用性。在管的两个圆周带上分别布置发射和接收换能器,形成多点发射-多点接收的几何结构。将管中绕管道沿最短路径的螺旋方向到达接收换能器的模式作为感兴趣的模式,它们看起来像在弯曲的板中传播,称之为类兰姆波模式。给出了类兰姆波各射线路径走时的理论计算方法,并采用联合迭代重建技术(SIRT)对走时数据进行慢度图像重建。数值模拟和实验研究了管中横穿孔缺陷层析成像的输出并对健康管和缺陷管中类兰姆波的走时数据进行比较,发现穿过缺陷区域的类兰姆波因为绕过缺陷传播而呈现出更长的走时。文中也给出了两缺陷管道类兰姆波层析成像的数值模拟和实验结果,相比单缺陷的情况,射线较少穿过区域缺陷的重建图像质量下降。研究结果为采用类兰姆波模式进行管道缺陷无损评价提供了理论依据。      

Calculation of leaky Lamb waves with a semi-analytical finite element method

A semi-analytical finite element method (SAFE) has been widely used for calculating dispersion curves and mode shapes of guided waves as well as transient waves in a bar like structures. Although guided wave inspection is often conducted for water-loaded plates and pipes, most of the SAFE techniques have not been extended to a plate with leaky media. This study describes leaky Lamb wave calculation with the SAFE. We formulated a new solution using a feature that a single Lamb wave mode generates a harmonic plane wave in leaky media. Dispersion curves obtained with the SAFE agreed well with the previous theoretical studies, which represents that the SAFE calculation was conducted with sufficient accuracy. Moreover, we discussed dispersion curves, attenuation curves, and displacement distributions for total transmission modes and leaky plate modes in a single side and both two side water-loaded plate.     

Guided wave dispersion curves for a bar with an arbitrary cross-section,a rod and rail example

Theoretical and experimental issues of acquiring dispersion curves for bars of arbitrary cross-section are discussed. Since a guided wave can propagate over long distances in a structure, guided waves have great potential for being applied to the rapid non-destructive evaluation of large structures such as rails in the railroad industry. Such fundamental data as phase velocity, group velocity, and wave structure for each guided wave mode is presented for structures with complicated cross-sectional geometries as rail. Phase velocity and group velocity dispersion curves are obtained for bars with an arbitrary cross-section using a semi-analytical finite element method. Since a large number of propagating modes with close phase velocities exist, dispersion curves consisting of only dominant modes are obtained by calculating the displacement at a received point for each mode. These theoretical dispersion curves agree in characteristic parts with the experimental dispersion curves obtained by a two-dimensional Fourier transform technique.     

Time-harmonic torsional waves in a composite cylinder with an imperfect interface

In this paper, the propagation of time-harmonic torsional waves in composite elastic cylinders is investigated. An imperfect interface is considered where tractions are continuous across the interface and the displacement jump is proportional to the stress acting on the interface. A frequency equation is derived for the rod and dispersion curves of normalized frequency as a function of normalized wave number for elastic bimaterials with varying values for the interface constant F are presented. The analysis is shown to recover the dispersion curves for a bimaterial rod with a perfect (welded) interface (F = 0), and has the correct limiting behavior for large F. It is shown that the modes, at any given frequency, are orthogonal, and it is outlined how the problem of reflection of a torsional mode by a planar defect (such as a circumferential crack) can be treated.     

无限液体介质内管道轴对称纵向导波激发与传播特性研究

利用声-结构耦合有限元法,分别对轴对称分布径的向及轴向外力作用在无限液体介质内未充液及充液管道内壁所激发导波进行了模拟,并进一步利用短时傅里叶变换技术对瞬态波形作时频分析,在此基础上,结合色散及衰减曲线,探讨了外力分布特征对导波激发的影响。研究表明,无限液体介质内未充液管中L(0,2)模式及充液管中L(0,3)~L(0,4)模式皆具有高群速度、弱色散且弱衰减频带,适宜用于缺陷探测,而通过控制轴对称分布外力的频率,并令其沿轴向作用于管内壁或外壁,可实现上述导波模式的高效激发。