Influence of Anisotropy Generated by Rolling on the Stress Measurement by Ultrasound in 7050 T7451 Aluminum

Stress applied to a material can be evaluated using ultrasonic waves. This practice is based on acoustoelastic theory, which relates the stress to the velocity of a wave traveling through the body. How the stress affects the wave velocity is determined by the material’s acoustoelastic constant. This constant can be experimentally measured or calculated from the material’s elastic constants. However, ultrasonic techniques have yet to be adopted as an inspection tool in the field. A factor contributing to this fact is the non-uniformity of materials, mostly associated with grain alignment or texture. As researchers consider this factor, they should take into account the anisotropy generated by rolling. The common practice, however, when relating strain and wave velocity is to ignore anisotropy and to simply utilize isotropic models. No studies have been performed to evaluate the effect of anisotropy on the stress measurement by ultrasound, especially for methods using critically refracted longitudinal waves. The aim of this study is to evaluate how the anisotropy generated by rolling affects the acoustoelastic effect for 7050 T7451 aluminum alloy. We compare the value of the acoustoelastic constant obtained experimentally for rolled samples to the constant calculated with measured elastic constants when the material is assumed to be isotropic. The results show that the methods yield different results, suggesting that the simplified isotropic model should be applied with caution. Since no true known value for elastic constants exists, the results can be used to approach the uncertainty when employing the isotropic model to evaluate stresses in aluminum alloys.     

Acoustoelastic stress analysis of residual stress in a patch-welded disk

The acoustoelastic stress analysis is based on the fact that an initially isotropic material becomes anisotropic under stress. The birefringent effect for polarized ultrasonic shear waves in the stressed material will then be similar to the photoelastic effect in which a light wave and a transparent model specimen are used. In this paper, the velocity differences of acoustical, perpendicularly polarized waves are measured directly by a ‘sing-around’ method using a 5-MHz shear-type transducer. The residual-stress distribution in a mild-steel circular plate with a concentrically patch-welded joint is measured by this method. The acoustoelastic coefficient is obtained separately by uniaxial testing of the base material. The results show that the acoustical stress measurement, carried out nondestructively, agrees well with those obtained by conventional destructive methods as well as with theoretical predictions.     

Towards an acoustoelastic theory for measurement of residual stress

The rudiments of an acoustoelastic theory is developed within the framework of linear elasticity with initial stress. Since no assumption is made about the origin of the initial stress, our acoustoelastic theory will be applicable to evaluation of stress in plastically deformed bodies, provided that the superimposed ultrasonic waves be hyperelastic. New universal relations are deduced. An approach to evaluation of stress which does not use calibration specimens and makes full use of universal relations in our acoustoelastic theory is advocated. Examples are given which illustrate application of our theory to evaluate residual stress in plates. Preliminary corroborations of our theory are provided by the recent experiments of King & Fortunko and Thompson et al.     

Theoretical study of acoustoelastic effects caused by plastic anisotropy growth

The general expressions for strain-velocity relations, which are called acoustoelastic effects, of waves propagating in elasto-plastically deformed solids have been derived with aid of Jaumann co-rotational rate. In the previous paper (Kobayashi [1986]), for the slightly orthotropic case, the theoretical results of those effects were presented and it was shown that plastic anisotropy influences the acoustoelastic effects through anisotropic stress increment terms constituting plastic strain increment. In the present paper, those anisotropic stress increment terms are defined by using the unsymmetric yield function proposed by Shriastava, Mróz & Dubey [1973]; the acoustoelastic effects caused by the plastic anistropy growth are analyzed.     

Evaluation of an applied plane-stress tensor distribution using ultrasonic shear waves

Most acoustoelastic stress measurements using shear waves that have been carried out so far are strongly related to photoelastic experiments: the velocity difference of the birefringent waves is evaluated. Absolute time-of-flight measurements potentially give more information about stresses but are also likely to be inaccurate. A technique is developed enabling time-of-flight and polarization angle measurements in an aluminum plate that are reproducible within 1/3 ns and one-deg respectively. Based on a previous calibration of the acoustoelastic effect, a plane-stress tensor field caused by applying a load to an aluminum 2024-T351 compact-tension specimen is evaluated. The results are compared to those of a finite-element analysis.     

Effect of uniaxial stress on the propagation of higher-order Lamb wave modes

On the basis of the non-linear theory of elasticity and the invariant based formulation developed by Ogden, we analyse the effect of homogeneous stress on the propagation of Lamb waves. Using the theory of incremental deformations superimposed on large deformations, we derive the equations governing the propagation of small amplitude waves in a pre-stressed plate. By enforcing traction-free boundary conditions at the surfaces of the plate, we further obtain the characteristic equations for symmetric and anti-symmetric Lamb wave modes and investigate the effect of stress on the phase velocity, i.e. the acoustoelastic effect. A comparison with experimental data exhibits a better correlation than previously published results. The outcomes of this study can be utilised in the development of new techniques for the measurement of applied stresses based on the acoustoelastic effect. In particular, a strong sensitivity of the phase velocity to the applied stress near the cut-off frequencies of higher-order Lamb wave modes is a very promising option, which seems to have been overlooked in previous studies.     

Stress Level Measurement in Prestressed Steel Strands Using Acoustoelastic Effect

In-situ health monitoring of the tensioning components such as strands, tendons, bars, anchorage bolts, etc. used in civil engineering structures, namely bridges, dams, nuclear power plants, etc. is extremely important to ensure security of users and environment. This paper deals with a guided ultrasonic wave procedure for monitoring the stress levels in seven-wire steel strands (15.7 mm in diameter). For this purpose, simplified acoustoelastic formulations were derived from the acoustoelasticity theory and acoustoelastic measurements were performed. The results from acoustoelastic calibration tests and an anchorage block of seven-wire steel strands are presented and discussed. They show the potential and the suitability of the proposed guided wave method for evaluating the service stress levels in the prestressed seven-wire steel strands.     

Nonlinear elastic effects in graphite/epoxy: An analytical and numerical prediction of energy flux deviation

Manipulating acoustic wave propagation through a material have several interdisciplinary applications. Here we predict shift in energy flux deviation for acoustic waves propagating in unidirectional graphite/epoxy due to applied normal and shear stresses using both an analytical model, using acoustoelastic continuum theory, and a finite element discrete numerical model. The acoustoelastic theory predicts that the quasi-transverse (QT) wave exhibits larger shifts in energy flux deviation compared to quasi-longitudinal (QL) or the pure transverse (PT) due to an applied shear stress for fiber orientation angle ranging from 0° to 60°. Due to an applied shear stress the QT wave exhibits a shift in energy flux deviation at 0° fiber orientation angle as compared to normal stress case where the flux deviation and its load induced shift are both zero. A finite element model (FEM) is developed where equations of motion include the effect of nonlinear elastic coefficients. Element equations were integrated in time using Newmark’s method to determine the shift in energy flux deviations in graphite/epoxy for different loading cases. The energy flux shift of QT waves predicted by FEM for fiber orientation angles from 0° to 60° for applied shear stress case is in excellent agreement with acoustoelastic theory. Because energy shift magnitudes are not small, it is possible to experimentally measure these shifts and calibrate shifts with respect to load type (normal/shear) and magnitude.     

超声纯横波法测试45#钢的内部应力

声各向同性的金属材料在应力作用下,材料表现出声各向异性,这是用声弹性法分析材料内部应力的基础。本文用垂直于应力方向传播的超声纯横波对45#钢进行测试,测试时横波的偏振化方向分别平行和垂直于应力方向。实验结果表明:材料在拉、压应力作用下,相互正交的两超声纯横波的声速都发生了变化,且声各向异性因子与应力成线性关系。利用此关系可测试材料内部应力,提供了一种无损测试材料内部应力的方法,另外本实验方法也可以对材料内部残余应力进行评估。实验中利用回振法测量声速,可测量声速的微小变化,精度高。     

Acoustoelastic effect simulation by time–space finite element formulation based on quadratic interpolation of the acceleration

Acoustoelastic effect describes the change of ultrasound velocity due to the initial stress. Its simulation involves a numerical analysis of nonlinear elastodynamics and requires high accuracy in the time domain. A time–space finite element formulation, derived from the quadratic interpolation of the acceleration within a time segment, is proposed for an accurate simulation of the acoustoelastic effect in the present study. Ten different integration schemes are generated based on this formulation and nine of them are found to be conditionally stable. Among the nine stable schemes, one is found to obtain a spectral radius of one when the normalized step ratio is less than 5.477, indicating no numerical dissipation or numerical divergence. Compared with integration schemes from previous studies, this integration scheme demonstrates better performance in calculation accuracy and energy conservation. A two-stage approach, namely the static stage and the dynamic stage, has been employed in the simulation of the acoustoelastic effect. The former stage is adopted to obtain the initial stress and the latter stage, where the proposed integration scheme is implemented, is adopted to simulate the ultrasound propagation in an initial stress state. The simulation results of the dynamic stage show that the ultrasound velocity increases in a compression stress state and decreases in a tension stress state for aluminum alloy, which is in good agreement with previous experimental studies. Together with the simulation result of the static stage, it is conjectured that the acoustoelastic effect results from the stress-dependent elastic modulus.     

Improved Stress Estimation with Machine Learning and Ultrasonic Guided Waves

Experimental Mechanics - Due to the acoustoelastic effect, ultrasonic guided waves have been used to estimate mechanical stress in a cheap and nondestructive fashion. Machine learning has been...     

Microstructure Effect on the Lcr Elastic Wave for Welding Residual Stress Measurement

The ultrasonic residual stresses measurement is based on the acoustoelastic effect that refers to the change in velocity of the elastic waves when propagating in a stressed media. The experimental method using the longitudinal critically refracted (Lcr) waves requires an acoustoelastic calibration and an accuracy measurement of the time-of-flight on both stressed and unstressed media. The accuracy of this method is strongly related to that of the calibration parameters, namely the time-of-flight at free stress condition (t₀) and the acoustoelastic coefficient (K). These parameters should be obtained on a free stress sample that has an identical microstructure to that of the stressed media. Our study concerns the ultrasonic evaluation of the welding residual stresses. This assembly process induces three distinct microstructures in the weld seam: the melted zone (MZ), heat affected zone (HAZ) and the parent metal (PM). Previously, the residual stresses evaluation in the steel welded plates, by the use of the Lcr wave method, was only possible in the MZ and in the PM zones. While in the HAZ, the residual stresses were incorrectly evaluated due to its small width impeding the extraction of the calibration sample. In this paper, we propose an original approach to solve this problem, which consists of reproducing the microstructure of this zone using a specific heat treatment. For the experimental part, P355 steel welded plates were used and the three zones were probed. The results compared with those obtained by the hole-drilling reference method show a proven potential of the ultrasonic method using the Lcr waves. The Lcr wave residual stresses measurements were made with sufficient accuracy, such as the variability of repeated measures was estimated on the order of ± 36 MPa.     

A device for measuring the velocity of ultrasonic waves: An application to stress analysis

In this paper we present a device for the practical application of an ultrasonic critical-angle refractometry (UCRfr) technique. UCRfr is a technique for measuring the velocity of longitudinal, shear and Rayleight waves, developed to improve the traditional ultrasonic methods for measuring the stress level in materials by means of acousto-elasticity. The technique consists of relating the variations in wave propagation velocity to variations in the angle of refraction at the interface with a second medium. Variations in the angle of refraction are determined on the basis of delay in receiving of the same wave at two different points. The study deals with the measurements of velocity changes of longitudinal wave due to uniaxial stress. In the present work the effects of stress on aluminum and steel specimens have been studied. Experimentation has show the potential of the technique for stress measurement; on the other hand, when the applied stress is known, it allows the measurement of the acoustoelastic constants of longitudinal waves. As regards measuring variations in velocity induced by stress, using this method it is possible, with a suitable choice of the material the device is made of, to isolate the effects of stress on velocity from the possible effects of temperature.     

Stress evaluation by pulse-echo ultrasonic longitudinal wave

In this paper, an activity aimed at developing an ultrasonic technique for evaluation of states of stress, and in the presence of gradients deriving from local effects of concentrated stress, is presented. The approach is based on the acoustoelastic effect in which ultrasonic wave propagation speed is linked to the magnitude of the stresses present. The technique developed calls for the use of longitudinal waves in pulse-echo technique that propagate in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the work piece. The technique has been applied in different experimental configurations on test specimens with concentration of stresses deriving from notches and fatigue cracks and has furnished encouraging results that highlight the potentiality of the method.     

花岗岩晶粒尺寸对岩爆影响的试验研究

为探究晶粒尺寸对硬脆性岩石岩爆的影响,利用真三轴岩爆试验系统,对细中、中粗两种不同晶粒尺寸的含预制圆孔花岗岩开展了岩爆模拟试验。试验结果表明:在相同的加载过程中,细中晶粒花岗岩出现板裂静态脆性破坏,而中粗晶粒花岗岩出现岩爆动力破坏;细中晶粒花岗岩早期声发射活动较弱,大破裂、低主频事件在时空分布上较集中,特征应力较大,而中粗晶粒花岗岩早期声发射活动较活跃,大破裂、低主频事件在时空分布上较离散,特征应力较小,碎屑破碎程度更高。晶粒尺寸对花岗岩的岩爆倾向性具有重要影响,晶粒尺寸较大的硬脆性岩石的岩爆倾向性更强。深部地下岩体工程的岩爆倾向性评价中,除强度和脆性外,晶粒尺寸也是需要考虑的重要因素。     

Surface Rayleigh Waves in the Determination of Near-Surface Stresses of Structural Elements

A supersonic nondestructive method for determining stresses in near-surface layers of solids is stated on the basis of the acoustoelastic theory of surface Raylegh waves. Examples are presented of how this method is used to determine the operating and residual stresses in materials and structural elements. Features of the mutual use of surface and volume waves to obtain additional information on the stress distribution over the cross section of a specimen are indicated     

Acoustoelasticity in a weakly anisotropic monoclinic elastic material

The acoustoelasticity in a stressed monoclinic elastic material is analyzed theoretically. It is assumed that the material has weak anisotropy, such that the second-order elastic constants differ slightly from those of an isotropic material and the third-order elastic constants retain general monoclinic anisotropy. The propagation velocities, the polarization directions and the acoustoelastic effects for principal longitudinal and transverse waves are obtained and presented as functions of the elastic constants, principal stresses and directions of principal axes of stress. The coefficients appearing in the formulas are tabulated for Laue groups.     

Perturbation Formulas for Polarization Ratio and Phase Shift of Rayleigh Waves in Prestressed Anisotropic Media

This paper completes an earlier study (Tanuma and Man, Journal of Elasticity, 85, 21–37, 2006) where we derive a first-order perturbation formula for the phase velocity of Rayleigh waves that propagate along the free surface of a macroscopically homogeneous, anisotropic, prestressed half-space. We adopt the formulation of linear elasticity with initial stress and assume that the deviation of the prestressed anisotropic medium from a suitably-chosen, comparative, unstressed and isotropic state be small. No assumption, however, is made on the material anisotropy of the incremental elasticity tensor. With the help of the Stroh formalism, here we derive first-order perturbation formulas for the changes in polarization ratio and phase shift of Rayleigh waves from their respective comparative isotropic value. Examples are given, which show that the perturbation formulas for phase velocity and polarization ratio can serve as a starting point for investigations on the possible advantages of using Rayleigh-wave polarization, as compared with using wave speed, for acoustoelastic measurement of stress.      

Using laser ultrasonics for nondestructive residual stress evaluation

A non-contact measuring technique of ultrasonic waves velocity is proposed, in which Rayleigh waves are detected by a laser Doppler velocimeter and the velocity is measured precisely by means of a sing-around unit and a digital oscilloscope. With the proposed technique, the acoustoelastic coefficient of Rayleigh waves in mild steel SS41 is obtained, which is in good agreement with that obtained by the contact method. Furthermore the non-contact technique is applied to evaluate the residual stress in a butt-welded steel plate, the result is reasonable.     

Mean stress in a granular medium in dynamics

In this paper we propose to construct a mean stress tensor for a granular medium, valid in static and in dynamics, which takes into account the contact reactions and the body forces acting at the grain level. A simple analytical example shows that taking account of inertia forces is essential to insure the symmetry of the mean stress tensor in dynamics. Finally, numerical simulations illustrating this definition of the mean stress tensor are presented for a granular medium ensiled.