CRACK DETECTION IN BEAM-TYPE STRUCTURES USING FREQUENCY DATA

A practical method to non-destructively locate and estimate size of a crack by using changes in natural frequencies of a structure is presented. First, a crack detection algorithm to locate and size cracks in beam-type structures using a few natural frequencies is outlined. A crack location model and a crack size model are formulated by relating fractional changes in modal energy to changes in natural frequencies due to damage such as cracks or other geometrical changes. Next, the feasibility and practicality of the crack detection scheme are evaluated for several damage scenarios by locating and sizing cracks in test beams for which a few natural frequencies are available. By applying the approach to the test beams, it is observed that crack can be confidently located with a relatively small localization error. It is also observed that crack size can be estimated with a relatively small size error.     

Free vibration analysis of beams and frames with multiple cracks for damage detection

The problem of calculating the natural frequencies of beams with multiple cracks and frames with cracked beams is studied. The natural frequencies are obtained using a new method in which a rotational spring model is used to represent the cracks. For beams, dynamic stiffness matrices of order 4 are obtained in a recursive manner, according to the number of cracks, by applying partial Gaussian elimination. The Wittrick–Williams algorithm is used to compute the natural frequencies in the resulting transcendental eigenvalue problem. Published numerical examples for cracked beams are used for validation. The global dynamic stiffness matrix of a frame with multiply cracked members is then assembled. A published two bay frame example is used to evaluate the new method. The effect of changing the location of a crack in a two bay two storey frame is studied numerically, giving insight into the inverse problem of damage detection.     

CRACK IDENTIFICATION IN VIBRATING BEAMS USING THE ENERGY METHOD

An energy-based numerical model is developed to investigate the influence of cracks on structural dynamic characteristics during the vibration of a beam with open crack(s). Upon the determination of strain energy in the cracked beam, the equivalent bending stiffness over the beam length is computed. The cracked beam is then taken as a continuous system with varying moment of intertia, and equations of transverse vibration are obtained for a rectangular beam containing one or two cracks. Galerkin's method is applied to solve for the frequencies and vibration modes. To identify the crack, the frequency contours with respect to crack depth and location are defined and plotted. The intersection of contours from different modes could be used to identify the crack location and depth.     

NON-DESTRUCTIVE EVALUATION OF HORIZONTAL CRACK DETECTION IN BEAMS USING TRANSVERSE IMPACT

Numerical and experimental studies for crack detection in beam employing transverse impact are presented. In the numerical study, a beam model of wave propagation is developed to calculate the time history of beam response before, over and after the crack region. It is expected that the resulting wave in the beam will be scattered by the crack and will carry information on the location and geometry of the crack. Experiments using a scanning laser vibrometer on specimens containing simulated crack are then conducted to verify the numerical results. Comparison study between the numerical results and experimental observations are conducted; good correlation between theory and experiment is observed. The beam model of wave propagation and adaptive multilayer perceptron networks (MLP) are then used for inverse identification of crack parameters (i.e., crack location, depth and length) in the beams. Time-domain displacement responses calculated using the present beam model containing predetermined crack parameters are used as training data for the MLP. Once the MLP is trained, the MLP networks are then employed for inverse determination of an unknown crack in a beam using experimental displacement responses measured with a scanning laser vibrometer. Examples show that the procedure performs well for the determination of a wide range of values for the location, depth and length of the crack.     

Vibration based algorithm for crack detection in cantilever beam containing two different types of cracks

In this paper, a simple method for detection of multiple edge cracks in Euler–Bernoulli beams having two different types of cracks is presented based on energy equations. Each crack is modeled as a massless rotational spring using Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM) theory, and a relationship among natural frequencies, crack locations and stiffness of equivalent springs is demonstrated. In the procedure, for detection of m cracks in a beam, 3m equations and natural frequencies of healthy and cracked beam in two different directions are needed as input to the algorithm.     

基于光学相干测振系统的微悬臂梁缺陷检测

提出了基于光学相干测振(optical coherence vibrometer,OCV)系统的微悬臂梁缺陷检测方法.自搭建的OCV系统最大振动位移量程、最大振动频率分别为2.574 mm和138.5 kHz,应用该系统对含缺陷微悬臂梁-附加质量块耦合结构进行振动测量获得其固有频率,并利用附加质量块对固有频率的影响特性...     

CRACK IDENTIFICATION IN BEAM STRUCTURES USING MECHANICAL IMPEDANCE

The influence of a transverse open crack on the mechanical impedance of cracked beams under various boundary conditions is investigated both analytically and experimentally. It is shown that the driving-point impedance changes substantially due to the presence of the crack and the changes depend on the location and the size of the crack and on the force location. Monitoring the change of the first antiresonance as a function of the measuring location along the beam, a jump in the slope of the plot in the vicinity of the crack occurs. The magnitude of the jump depends on the crack size. Experimental results are presented from tests on Plexiglas beams damaged at different locations and different magnitudes and are found to be in good agreement with theoretical predictions. Based on the results of the present work, an efficient prediction scheme for accurate crack localization is proposed.     

SIMPLIFIED MODELS FOR THE LOCATION OF CRACKS IN BEAM STRUCTURES USING MEASURED VIBRATION DATA

A new simplified approach to modelling cracks in beams undergoing transverse vibration is presented. The modelling approach uses Euler-Bernoulli beam elements with small modifications to the local flexibility in the vicinity of cracks. This crack model is then used to estimate the crack locations and sizes, by minimizing the difference between the measured and predicted natural frequencies via model updating. The uniqueness of the approach is that the simplified crack model allows the location and damage extent to be estimated directly. The simplified crack model may also be used to generate training data for pattern recognition approaches to health monitoring. The proposed method has been illustrated using the experimental data on beam examples.     

Crack effects on the in-plane static and dynamic stabilities of a curved beam with an edge crack

The effects of a single-edge crack and its locations on the buckling loads, natural frequencies and dynamic stability of circular curved beams are investigated numerically using the finite element method, based on energy approach. This study consists of three stages, namely static stability (buckling) analysis, vibration analysis and dynamic stability analysis. The governing matrix equations are derived from the standard and cracked curved beam elements combined with the local flexibility concept. Approximation for the displacements using coupled interpolations based on the constant-strain, linear-curvature element (SC) has yielded results with reasonable accuracy. The numerical results obtained from the present finite element model are found to be in good agreement with those, both experimental and analytic, of other researchers in the existing literature. Results show that the reductions in buckling load and natural frequency depend not only on the crack depth and crack position, but also on the related mode shape. Analyses also show that the crack effect on the dynamic stability of the considered curved beam is quite limited.     

DYNAMIC RESPONSE OF A BEAM WITH A CRACK SUBJECT TO A MOVING MASS

An iterative modal analysis approach is developed to determine the effect of transverse cracks on the dynamic behavior of simply supported undamped Bernoulli-Euler beams subject to a moving mass. The presence of crack results in higher deflections and alters the beam response patterns. In particular, the largest deflection in the beam for a given speed takes longer to build up, and a discontinuity appears in the slope of the beam deflected shape at the crack location. Crack effects become more noticeable as crack depth increases. The effect of the inertia force due to the moving mass is, in general, qualitatively similar and additive to the effect of the crack. The exact effect of crack and mass depends on the speed, time, crack size, crack location, and the moving mass level. Other approximate methods, namely a stationary mass model and a single iteration technique, are also evaluated. The stationary mass approach is useful for light moving masses (<20% of beam mass) and cracks at mid-span. For other cases, the errors can be unacceptably large. The results of the single-iteration approximation are quite close to the iterative modal analysis approach, which indicates that this approximate solution is an excellent tool for the analysis of the moving mass problem.     

FUNDAMENTAL FREQUENCY OF CRACKED BEAMS IN BENDING VIBRATIONS: AN ANALYTICAL APPROACH

This paper presents an analytical approach to the fundamental frequency of cracked Euler-Bernoulli beams in bending vibrations. The flexibility influence function method used to solve the problem leads to an eigenvalue problem formulated in integral form. The influence of the crack was represented by an elastic rotational spring connecting the two segments of the beam at the cracked section. In solving the problem, closed-form expressions for the approximated values of the fundamental frequency of cracked Euler-Bernoulli beams in bending vibrations are reached. The results obtained agree with those numerically obtained by the finite element method.     

幂函数形式连续变截面梁振动的弯曲固有频率分析*

本文使用微分方程解析法求解变截面梁固有频率。首先,建立变截面梁模型,其中截面面积和惯性矩均按幂次函数变化。得到变截面梁自由振动时挠度的解析表达式,并获得不同边界条件下梁弯曲振动的固有频率方程。其中惯性矩所对应幂指数与截面面积的幂指数的差值为4时,可得自振频率方程的精确形式;而幂指数差值不等于4时,给出近似解法。其次,对4种具体的变截面梁求解不同边界下的自振频率,并与瑞利-里兹法所得的自振频率解比较。验证精确解法结果的正确性,并发现近似解法结果的相对偏差在5%以内。该解析方法较瑞利-里兹法具有能快速求解的特点,且易于分析截面参数对梁固有频率的影响。由算例可得,边界和其他参数不变时,梁的同阶次无量纲自振频率随着幂次指数的增加而增加。几何参数中仅截面形状参数改变时,随着形状参数的增加,梁的同阶次无量纲自振频率随之减小,但固定-自由梁的第一阶自振频率除外。     

Crack detection in single-crystalline silicon wafers using impact testing

This paper presents acoustic measurements obtained by mechanically exciting vibratory modes in single-crystalline silicon wafers with hairline periphery cracks of different type and location. The data presented shows a dependence of natural frequencies, peak amplitudes and damping levels of four audio vibration modes in the frequency range up to 1000 Hz on crack type and crack location. Data from defective wafers exhibit lower natural frequencies, higher damping levels, and lower peak amplitudes. The results suggest an impact test method may be useful for solar cell crack detection and quality control.     

IDENTIFICATION OF CRACK LOCATION IN VIBRATING BEAMS FROM CHANGES IN NODE POSITIONS

It is known that the effect of a single crack in an axially vibrating thin rod is to cause the nodes of the mode shapes move toward the crack. This paper is an analytical/experimental investigation of the analogous problem for a thin beam in bending vibration. The monotonicity property linking changes in node position and crack location does not hold in the bending case. The analysis of the direct problem, however, shows that the direction by which nodal points move may be useful for predicting damage location. Analytical results agree well with experimental tests performed on cracked steel beams.     

The use of roving discs and orthogonal natural frequencies for crack identification and location in rotors

A variety of approaches that have been developed for the identification and localisation of cracks in a rotor system, which exploit natural frequencies, require a finite element model to obtain the natural frequencies of the intact rotor as baseline data. In fact, such approaches can give erroneous results about the location and depth of a crack if an inaccurate finite element model is used to represent an uncracked model. A new approach for the identification and localisation of cracks in rotor systems, which does not require the use of the natural frequencies of an intact rotor as a baseline data, is presented in this paper. The approach, named orthogonal natural frequencies (ONFs), is based only on the natural frequencies of the non-rotating cracked rotor in the two lateral bending vibration x–z and y–z planes. The approach uses the cracked natural frequencies in the horizontal x–z plane as the reference data instead of the intact natural frequencies. Also, a roving disc is traversed along the rotor in order to enhance the dynamics of the rotor at the cracked locations. At each spatial location of the roving disc, the two ONFs of the rotor–disc system are determined from which the corresponding ONF ratio is computed. The ONF ratios are normalised by the maximum ONF ratio to obtain normalised orthogonal natural frequency curves (NONFCs). The non-rotating cracked rotor is simulated by the finite element method using the Bernoulli–Euler beam theory. The unique characteristics of the proposed approach are the sharp, notched peaks at the crack locations but rounded peaks at non-cracked locations. These features facilitate the unambiguous identification and locations of cracks in rotors. The effects of crack depth, crack location, and mass of a roving disc are investigated. The results show that the proposed method has a great potential in the identification and localisation of cracks in a non-rotating cracked rotor.     

Crack detection in beams using changes in frequencies and amplitudes of frequency response functions

In recent years, significant efforts have been devoted to developing non-destructive techniques for damage identification in structures. The work reported in this paper is part of an ongoing research on the experimental investigations of the effects of cracks and damages on the integrity of structures, with a view to detect, quantify, and determine their extents and locations. Two sets of aluminum beams were used for this experimental study. Each set consisted of seven beams, the first set had fixed ends, and the second set was simply supported. Cracks were initiated at seven different locations from one end to the other end (along the length of the beam) for each set, with crack depth ratios ranging from 0.1d to 0.7d (d is the beam depth) in steps of 0.1, at each crack location. Measurements of the acceleration frequency responses at seven different points on each beam model were taken using a dual channel frequency analyzer.The damage detection schemes used in this study depended on the measured changes in the first three natural frequencies and the corresponding amplitudes of the measured acceleration frequency response functions.     

FREE VIBRATIONS OF SELF-STRAINED ASSEMBLIES OF BEAMS

This paper examines the natural frequencies and modes of transverse vibration of two simple redundant systems comprising straight uniform Euler-Bernoulli beams in which there are internal self-balancing axial loads (e.g., loads due to non-uniform thermal strains). The simplest system consists of two parallel beams joined at their ends and the other is a 6-beam rectangular plane frame. Symmetric mode vibration normal to the plane of the frame is studied. Transcendental frequency equations are established for the different systems. Computed frequencies and modes are presented which show the effect of (1) varying the axial loads over a wide range, up to and beyond the values which cause individual members to buckle (2) pinning or fixing the beam joints (3) varying the relative flexural stiffness of the component beams. When the internal axial loads first cause any one of the component beams to buckle, the fundamental frequency of the whole system vanishes. The critical axial loads required for this are determined. A simple criterion has been identified to predict whether a small increase from zero in the axial compressive load in any one member causes the natural frequencies of the whole system to rise or fall. It is shown that this depends on the relative flexural stiffnesses and buckling loads of the different members. Computed modes of vibration show that when the axial modes reach their critical values, the buckled beam(s) distort with large amplitudes while the unbuckled beam(s) move either as rigid bodies or with bending which decays rapidly from the ends to a near-rigid-body movement over the central part of the beam. The modes of the systems with fixed joints change very little (if at all) with changing axial load, except when the load is close to the value which maximizes or minimizes the frequency. In a narrow range around this load the mode changes rapidly. The results provide an explanation for some computed results (as yet unpublished) for the flexural modes and frequencies of flat plates with non-uniform thermal stress distributions.     

A novel method for crack detection in beam-like structures by measurements of natural frequencies

A novel method is proposed for calculating the natural frequencies of a multiple cracked beam and detecting unknown number of multiple cracks from the measured natural frequencies. First, an explicit expression of the natural frequencies through crack parameters is derived as a modification of the Rayleigh quotient for the multiple cracked beams that differ from the earlier ones by including nonlinear terms with respect to crack severity. This expression provides a simple tool for calculating the natural frequencies of the beam with arbitrary number of cracks instead of solving the complicated characteristic equation. The obtained nonlinear expression for natural frequencies in combination with the so-called crack scanning method proposed recently by the authors allowed the development of a novel procedure for consistent identification of unknown amount of cracks in the beam with a limited number of measured natural frequencies. The developed theory has been illustrated and validated by both numerical and experimental results.     

Finite difference analysis of torsional vibrations of pretwisted,rotating, cantilever beams with effects of warping

Theoretical natural frequencies of the first three modes of torsional vibration of pre-twisted, rotating cantilever beams are determined for various thickness and aspect ratios. Conclusions concerning individual and collective effects of warping, pretwist, tension-torsion coupling and tennis racket effect (twist-rotational coupling) terms on the natural frequencies are drawn from numerical results obtained by using a finite difference procedure with first order central differences. The relative importance of structural warping, inertial warping, pretwist, tension-torsion and twist-rotational coupling terms is discussed for various rotational speeds. The accuracy of results obtained by using the finite difference approach is verified by a comparison with the exact solution for specialized simple cases of the equation of motion used in this paper.     

Vibrations of rectangular plates with elastically restrained edges

The Rayleigh-Ritz method is used to determined natural frequencies in transverse vibration of rectangular plates with elastically restrained edges. By treating an elastically restrained edge as intermediate between an appropriate pair of classical boundary conditions and using the corresponding vibration mode shapes of beams with classical boundary conditions as assumed functions, a relatively small number of functions is required; consequently only a modest quantity of computation is necessary. The good accuracy of the method is demonstrated by solving test problems. The method can be applied to a wide range of elastic restraint conditions, any aspect ratio and for higher modes in addition to the fundamental. The usefulness and accuracy of existing simplified approaches to the problem are assessed. The effect of in-plane forces on the natural frequencies and the determination of critical loads for plates with these restraint conditions are considered also.