Ultrasonic reflection and guided waves in fluid-coupled composite laminates

In this article, we review the present authors' own approach to elastic wave modeling and experimental measurements in fibrous composites. The materials and structural problem addressed here concerns the propagation of guided elastic leaky waves in continuous-fiber composite plates. The guided wavevector may be oriented along the fibers or in an arbitrary azimuthal direction. These plates can be structured as single-layer or multilayer media, where each successive layer contains fibers in different directions. Further, the multiaxial plates are loaded by a fluid or by different fluids on each boundary. Each of these cases has been investigated both experimentally and theoretically. It is found that some reasonable approximations lead to significant simplifications in treating these complicated structures and yet preserve the accuracy needed to make useful predictions of realistic sound wave behavior. Comparisons of the results of model calculations and experimental measurements of ultrasonic reflection show very good agreement over a wide range of experimental parameters and types of composites. Suggestions are offered at the end of the article for extensions of the modeling to account for non-ideal behavior of the materials and the chosen means of interrogation.