Normal mode expansion method for laser-generated ultrasonic Lamb waves in orthotropic thin plates

A quantitative theory for modeling the laser-generated transient ultrasonic Lamb waves, which propagates along arbitrary directions in orthotropic plates, is presented by employing an expansion method of generalized Lamb wave modes. The displacement field is expressed by a summation of the symmetric and antisymmetric modes in the surface stress-free orthotropic plate, and therefore the theory is particularly appropriate for waveform analyses of Lamb waves in thin plates because one needs only to evaluate several lower modes. The transient waveforms excited by the thermoelastic expansion and the oil-coating evaporation are analyzed for a transversely isotropic thin plate. The results show that the theory provides a quantitative analysis to characterize anisotropic elastic stiffness properties of orthotropic plates by laser-generated Lamb wave detection.     

Influence of adhesive layer properties on laser-generated ultrasonic waves in thin bonded plates

This paper studies quantitatively the generation of Lamb waves in thin bonded plates subjected to laser illumination, after considering the viscoelasticity of the adhesive layer. The displacements of such plates have been calculated in the frequency domain by using the finite element method, and the time domain response has been reconstructed by applying an inverse fast Fourier transform. Numerical results are presented showing the normal surface displacement for several configurations: a single aluminum plate, a three-layer bonded plate, and a two-layer plate. The characteristics of the laser-generated Lamb waves for each particular case have been investigated. In addition, the sensitivity of the transient responses to variations of material properties (elastic modulus, viscoelastic modulus, and thickness) of the adhesive layer has been studied in detail.     

The propagation of coupled Lamb waves in multilayered arbitrary anisotropic composite laminates

Based on linear three-dimensional elasticity theory, the wave equations of coupled Lamb waves in multilayered arbitrary anisotropic composite laminates are derived using a Legendre orthogonal polynomial approach. The elastodynamic solution for the propagation of coupled Lamb waves in composite plates is also presented to determine the characteristics of coupled Lamb waves. To verify the applicability and validity of the method, two cases of bi-layered plates formed with isotropic components and anisotropic components, respectively, are primarily manipulated for comparison with earlier known results. Next, the dispersion curves, displacements and stress distributions of Lamb waves in multilayered anisotropic laminates are calculated. The effects of coupling and fiber orientation on the characteristics of the Lamb waves are illustrated. The potential usefulness of the fundamental modes of the coupled Lamb waves is discussed in detail.     

Guided waves propagating in sandwich structures made of anisotropic,viscoelastic, composite materials

The propagation of Lamb-like waves in sandwich plates made of anisotropic and viscoelastic material layers is studied. A semi-analytical model is described and used for predicting the dispersion curves (phase velocity, energy velocity, and complex wave-number) and the through-thickness distribution fields (displacement, stress, and energy flow). Guided modes propagating along a test-sandwich plate are shown to be quite different than classical Lamb modes, because this structure does not have the mirror symmetry, contrary to most of composite material plates. Moreover, the viscoelastic material properties imply complex roots of the dispersion equation to be found that lead to connections between some of the dispersion curves, meaning that some of the modes get coupled together. Gradual variation from zero to nominal values of the imaginary parts of the viscoelastic moduli shows that the mode coupling depends on the level of material viscoelasticity, except for one particular case where this phenomenon exists whether the medium is viscoelastic or not. The model is used to quantify the sensitivity of both the dispersion curves and the through-thickness mode shapes to the level of material viscoelasticity, and to physically explain the mode-coupling phenomenon. Finite element software is also used to confirm results obtained for the purely elastic structure. Finally, experiments are made using ultrasonic, air-coupled transducers for generating and detecting guided modes in the test-sandwich structure. The mode-coupling phenomenon is then confirmed, and the potential of the air-coupled system for developing single-sided, contactless, NDT applications of such structures is discussed.     

Polymer composite material characterisation using a laser/air-transducer system

A wide bandwidth 1–3 connectivity piezocomposite air transducer has been used to detect laser-generated ultrasound in a variety of composite materials. Through thickness waveforms in various carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite plates will be presented, as well as a selection of Lamb waves. Signals were also obtained in samples of pultruded glass fibre reinforced composite of different thickness. Using the laser/air-transducer system, images were obtained of machined defects and delaminations by conventional C-scanning methods, and tomographic reconstruction techniques.     

激光激发黏弹表面波有限元数值模拟

研究黏弹性材料中激光激发的Rayleigh波的传播特征. 考虑到黏弹性材料的黏性特征,在频域内建立黏弹性材料中激光激发Rayleigh波的有限元数值模型. 在验证有限元频域数值模型正确性的基础上,模拟脉冲激光作用在黏弹性材料上激发出Rayleigh波,进而讨论激光激发的黏弹Rayleigh波的传播特征,并比较黏弹性材料与弹性材料中激光激发的Rayleigh波差异,同时分析了材料的黏性劲度参量变化对Rayleigh波特征的影响. 关键词： 表面波 激光超声 有限元方法 黏弹性     

Lamb waves in anisotropic plates (review)

Propagation of Lamb waves in elastic anisotropic plates is studied in the framework of the six-dimensional Cauchy formalism. Closed-form secular equations for dispersion curves for Lamb waves propagating in a plate with arbitrary elastic anisotropy are obtained.     

Acoustic wave generation by microwaves and applications to nondestructive evaluation

Although acoustic wave generation by electromagnetic waves has been widely studied in the case of laser-generated ultrasounds, the literature on acoustic wave generation by thermal effects due to electromagnetic microwaves is very sparse. Several mechanisms have been suggested to explain the phenomenon of microwave generation, i.e. radiation pressure, electrostriction or thermal expansion. Now it is known that the main cause is the thermal expansion due to the microwave absorption. This paper will review the recent advances in the theory and experiments that introduce a new way to generate ultrasonic waves without contact for the purpose of nondestructive evaluation and control. The unidirectional theory based on Maxwell's equations, heat equation and thermoviscoelasticity predicts the generation of acoustic waves at interfaces and inside stratified materials. Acoustic waves are generated by a pulsed electromagnetic wave or a burst at a chosen frequency such that materials can be excited with a broad or narrow frequency range. Experiments show the generation of acoustic waves in water, viscoelastic polymers and composite materials shaped as rod and plates. From the computed and measured accelerations at interfaces, the viscoelastic and electromagnetic properties of materials such as polymers and composites can be evaluated (NDE). Preliminary examples of non-destructive testing applications are presented.     

Air-coupled measurement of plane wave, ultrasonic plate transmission for characterising anisotropic, viscoelastic materials

Electrostatic, air-coupled, ultrasonic transducers are used to generate and detect plane waves in viscoelastic, isotropic or anisotropic solid plates. The through-transmitted field is measured and compared to numerical predictions. An inversion scheme is then applied for identifying the values of the complex Cij which are representative of the viscoelasticity properties of the materials. The issue of this work is a contact-free, ultrasonic technique for material characterisation.     

Lamb mode reflections at the end of a plate loaded by a viscoelastic material

This paper deals with a study of the conversion of a Lamb wave at the loaded edge of a plate. An experimental study is performed to know the interaction of surface waves with a viscoelastic material. A Lamb wave is generated by a wedge. At the end of the plate, this wave gives rise to several reflected waves. A first study makes it possible qualitatively to know the Lamb modes present in reflection. Secondly, conversion phenomena are studied to know if surface waves are sensitive to evolution in the time of the viscoelastic material structure. The selected material is a sol-gel containing silica.     

The group velocity variation of Lamb wave in fiber reinforced composite plate

Experimentally measured Lamb wave group velocities in composite materials with anisotropic characteristics are not the same as the theoretical group velocities which is calculated with the Lamb wave dispersion equation. This discrepancy arises from the fact that the angle between the group velocity direction and the phase velocity direction in anisotropic materials exists. Wave propagation in a composite material with anisotropic characteristics should be considered with respect to magnitude correction in addition to direction correction. In this study, S0 mode phase velocity dispersion curves are depicted with the variation of degree with respect to the fiber direction using a Lamb wave dispersion relation in the unidirectional, bidirectional, and quasi-isotropic composite plates. Slowness surface is sketched by the reciprocal value of the phase velocity curves. The magnitude and direction of the group velocity could be calculated from the slowness surface. The recalculated group velocities with consideration of the magnitude and direction from the slowness surface are compared with experimentally measured group velocities. The proposed method shows good agreements with theoretical and experimental results.     

Thickness measurement in composite materials using lamb waves viscoelastic effects

Pulse propagation in plates has been investigated with the identification of Lamb modes. The application of this technique to the measurement of thickness in composite and coarse materials was previously evaluated. As a sequel, results of the application of this technique taking into account the viscoelastic properties of PVC and ferrocement are presented.     

Elastic constants measurement of anisotropic Olivier wood plates using air-coupled transducers generated Lamb wave and ultrasonic bulk wave

A hybrid elastic wave method is applied to determine the anisotropic constants of Olive wood specimen considered as an orthotropic solid. The method is based on the measurements of the Lamb wave velocities as well as the bulk ultrasonic wave velocities. Electrostatic, air-coupled, ultrasonic transducers are used to generate and receive Lamb waves which are sensitive to material properties. The variation of phase velocity with frequency is measured for several modes propagating parallel and normal to the fiber direction along a thin Olivier wood plates. A numerical model based mainly on an optimization method is developed; it permits to recover seven out of nine elastic constants with an uncertainty of about 15%. The remaining two elastic constants are then obtained from bulk wave measurements. The experimental Lamb phase velocities are in good agreement with the calculated dispersion curves. The evaluation of Olive wood elastic properties has been performed in the low frequency range where the Lamb length wave is large in comparison with the heterogeneity extent. Within the interval errors, the obtained elastic tensor doesn’t reveal a large deviation from a uniaxial symmetry.     

Design of optimal configuration for generating A0 Lamb mode in a composite plate using piezoceramic transducers

This work concerned a technique for a health monitoring system based on the generation and sensing of Lamb waves in composite structures by thin surface-bonded piezoceramic transducers. The objective was to develop transducers that are adapted for the damage detection in orthotropic composites. The key problem with the investigated Lamb waves was to select a mode to be sensitive to the damage. A hybrid modeling technique was therefore used to conceive transducers that were adapted to achieve such a feature. This modeling technique enabled studying the influence of the transducer characteristics on the Lamb waves propagating in orthotropic plates. It was demonstrated that a Lamb mode could be generated dominantly to other modes by using a multi-element transducer. The effectiveness of this technique was successfully verified experimentally on composite plates. It was shown that the dominant Lamb mode, obtained by use of dual-element transducers, was an appropriate mode for successfully detecting a damage in composites.     

覆黏弹层加肋双层板的声反射

为评估覆盖层的吸声性能,研究黏弹层在无限大周期加肋双层板背衬下的声反射。首先通过弯曲波与Lamb波的比较,揭示了板近似理论不适用于黏弹性板的原因。为此采用(黏)弹性理论处理(黏)弹性板,而肋板的处理则采用板近似理论,并用Hull提出的方法解决肋板和平板的耦合问题,得到反射声场的解。与板近似理论计算加肋双层板声反射的结果进行比较验证了本文方法的正确性,对反射系数进行计算分析了背衬对声反射的影响,定义平均反射系数比较了不同覆盖层的性能。结果表明,频率较低时覆盖层无法有效抑制背衬的影响,板间流体层与双层板的耦合作用引起共振散射,肋板与双层板的耦合作用降低声反射。      

Analysis of laser-generated ultrasonic force source at specimen surface and display of bulk wave in transversely isotropic plate by numerical method

Taking into account the effects of thermal diffusion and optical penetration, as well as the finite width and duration of the laser source, the laser-generated ultrasonic force source at surface vicinity is presented. The full acoustic fields of laser-generated ultrasonic bulk wave are obtained and displayed in transversely isotropic plate. The features of laser-generated ultrasound bulk waves are analyzed. The features of laser-generated ultrasonic bulk wave are in good agreement with the theoretical results (the phase velocity surfaces), demonstrating the validity of this simulation. The numerical results indicate that the features of laser-generated ultrasound waveforms in anisotropic specimen, different from the case in isotropic materials, have a close relation with the propagating plane and propagation direction. This method can provide insight to the generation and propagation of laser-generated ultrasonic bulk wave in transversely isotropic material.     

Acoustic reflection of rib-stiffened double plates coated with a viscoelastic layer

To predict sound-absorbing performance of anechoic materials,the acoustic reflection problem of a viscoelastic layer backed with periodically rib-stiffened infinite double plates is studied in this paper.The reason why structural theories of plates are not applicable to viscoelastic plates is explained through comparing dispersion and attenuation curves of flexural waves with those of Lamb waves.As a result,（visco-）elastic theory is adopted to deal with（visco-）elastic plates,and ribs are treated by structural theories of plates.The coupling between ribs and plates are solved by Hull＇s method,and solution of the reflected field is obtained.The accuracy of present method is validated by comparing with the results by the structural theories of plates.The influence of a backing on the acoustic reflection of the viscoelatic layer is analyzed by computing reflection coefficients.Performances of different viscoelastic materials are evaluated by the average reflection coefficients.The computational results show that,influence of a backing on the acoustic reflection cannot be suppressed by the viscoelastic materials in low frequencies.The resonance is determined by the coupling of the fluid layer and the double plates.And ribs,which are coupled with the double plates,mainly reduce the acoustic reflection.     

A Method for Detecting and Localizing Inhomogeneities in Plates Using Lamb Waves

Acoustical Physics - The paper presents the results from a study of the interaction of Lamb waves with inhomogeneities in composite plates. It was found that waves of this type are diffracted by...     

Prolonged acousto-optic interaction with Lamb waves in crystalline plates

The propagation and acousto-optic interaction of Lamb modes in an anisotropic plate of tellurium dioxide (TeO2) are studied numerically and analytically. In the case of a Y-cut X-propagating TeO2 plate, the very high elastic anisotropy of the crystal greatly modifies the dispersion curves, giving rise to their multiple oscillations. The existence ranges of backward Lamb modes increase with the mode order contrary to the case of isotropic plates. The quasi-collinear light scattering by Lamb waves is considered. Owing to the structure of Lamb wave field, a simultaneous light diffraction at two different optical frequencies can take place while Lamb waves are excited only at the single frequency. It is demonstrated with the Z-cut (110)-propagating plate that a small change in the acoustic frequency can result in a significant shift in the frequency of the scattered light.     

一种定征固体板表面性质的兰姆波方法

基于Ritec-SNAP系统建立了兰姆波实验系统，分析了用兰姆波幅频特性定征固体板表面性质的可行性。实验结果表明，用高阶、多模兰姆波的幅频特性可准确定征固体板表面性质的变化。