Modern acoustic emission technique and its application in aviation industry

This paper proposes the concept of modern acoustic emission (MAE) technique and describes its application in aviation industry. Modern AE is characterized by the combination of AE parameter and waveform analysis based on the understanding of AE source mechanism, the property of sound wave propagation and the interaction between sound wave and the medium in which the sound wave is propagating. Another feature of MAE is characterized by the application of so-called fully digital AE apparatus with low noise, high speed of data transmission and accurate AE source locating capability. MAE is merely an imagination without the realization of the advanced fully digital AE instrument. The application of MAE in monitoring the conditions of aircraft structures during a fatigue test was taken as an example for showing the important role played by AE. Roles of AE in the evaluation of (environment-related) corrosion damage of aircraft were also presented.