On attenuation and measurement of Lamb waves in viscoelastic composites

In this work, the influence of viscoelastic material properties, as featured by fibre reinforced plastics, on the measurement of Lamb waves with the aid of surface-applied piezoelectric sensors is examined. The focus points are frequency dependent material dampening and dispersion on the one hand and the impact of sensor size, wave excitation and measurement method on the other hand. The dependence of the measured wave propagation characteristics and the deviation from the actual characteristics is investigated to assess the relevance for Lamb wave based nondestructive testing and structural health monitoring methods. The sensor responses of piezoelectric sensors bonded to the surface of a viscoelastic composite are predicted by a comprehensive model including these influencing factors. The modelling approach is compared with experimentally measured values to evaluate both the methods and the relevance of the influencing factors.     

On attenuation and measurement of Lamb waves in viscoelastic composites

In this work, the influence of viscoelastic material properties, as featured by fibre reinforced plastics, on the measurement of Lamb waves with the aid of surface-applied piezoelectric sensors is examined. The focus points are frequency dependent material dampening and dispersion on the one hand and the impact of sensor size, wave excitation and measurement method on the other hand. The dependence of the measured wave propagation characteristics and the deviation from the actual characteristics is investigated to assess the relevance for Lamb wave based nondestructive testing and structural health monitoring methods. The sensor responses of piezoelectric sensors bonded to the surface of a viscoelastic composite are predicted by a comprehensive model including these influencing factors. The modelling approach is compared with experimentally measured values to evaluate both the methods and the relevance of the influencing factors.     

基于三维弹性理论的碳纤维板中Lamb波建模

基于主动Lamb波的结构健康监测是目前复合材料结构损伤监测技术研究的热点之一,了解Lamb波的传播特性对进行可靠的损伤监测非常重要.本文结合经典三维弹性理论与Lamb波的运动位移方程,对碳纤维复合材料板中传播的Lamb波传播特性进行了建模研究,在此基础上推导了碳纤维板的相速度频散曲线,并讨论了Lamb波传播方向与坐标轴之间的夹角及碳纤维铺层方向对频散曲线的影响,建模结果证明了这种建模方法的正确性.     

Ultrasonic based method for damage identification in composite materials

We present an ultrasonic-based Lamb wave propagation method for identifying and measuring the damage location in a material as a basis for structural health monitoring (SHM). Lamb waves can propagate in a structure via mode conversion and reflection from the surfaces of the structure, and can lead to interference patterns as a resulting wave vector propagates along the structure. We determined the experimental and analytical effects of various parameters on the sensitivity of damage detection. A methodology is proposed for estimating and measuring the location of damage in test specimens. An experimental setup is used for generating A_o? Lamb waves by calibrating ultrasonic pulse generation for optimal values of parameters. Materials with different damage levels are tested in their undamaged and damaged conditions, and the effects of the parameters on the generated waves in test specimens are observed experimentally.     

Harmonic wave propagation in viscoelastic heterogeneous materials Part I: Dispersion and damping relations

An analytico-numerical method is presented to study the propagation of plane harmonic waves in infinite periodic linear viscoelastic media. Part I considers only the dispersion and attenuation of acoustical longitudinal and shear waves. To show the accuracy of the method, examples of plane harmonic wave propagation in an infinite homogeneous medium and in a periodic layered viscoelastic medium are presented. The method is then used to calculate the damping and dispersion relations for a fibre-reinforced viscoelastic composite material. The results show clearly the influence of materials' viscoelastic properties and heterogeneities on the propagation of plane harmonic waves through the media.     

基于Shannon 复数小波的复合材料结构时间反转聚焦多损伤成像方法

研究了一种基于压电传感器阵列和主动Lamb 波的结构损伤成像方法,有助于克服Lamb 波在板结构中、特别是在复合材料板结构中存在的频散、多种模式及模式转换的现象给结构健康监测带来的困难。分析了结构多损伤散射信号的时间反转聚焦原理,在此基础上提出了一种基于Shannon 复数小波和时间反转聚焦的信号合成成像方法。该方法中,确定Lamb 波响应信号的到达时刻是信号能够准确聚焦的关键因素之一。提出了利用Shannon 复数小波变换计算Lamb 波响应信号到达时刻的方法。在碳纤维复合材料板结构上对整套信号合成成像方法进行了验证。研究结果表明,该方法能够有效地对同一个监测区域中的多个损伤进行成像定位。相对于30 cm ×30 cm 的监测区域,定位误差不超过2 cm。该方法有助于结构健康监测技术的工程应用。      

Identification and Avoidance of Systematic Measurement Errors in Lamb Wave Observation With One‐Dimensional Scanning Laser Vibrometry

Abstract: Scanning laser vibrometry is a widely used tool to observe Lamb wave fields for structural health monitoring (SHM) purposes. Lamb waves propagate over long distances in thin‐walled structures and interact with structural inhomogeneities, for example, damages, in spite of wavelengths several times of the damage size. In SHM of sheets and glass‐ or carbon‐fibre‐reinforced plastic plates, this effect is used for determining the position as well as the size of structural faults. With the often employed one‐dimensional vibrometry, a geometrically induced, systematic error occurs when measuring oblique‐angled motion. This error can be, in the specific case of Lamb waves, of a non‐negligible quantity. The nature of this geometrical measurement error in general and concerning Lamb waves in special is discussed analytically for both amplitude and phase data. It is shown that this matter should be taken into account in some applications.     

Enhanced Composites Integrity Through Structural Health Monitoring

This paper discusses the topic of how the integrity of safety-critical structural composites can be enhanced by the use of structural health monitoring (SHM) techniques. The paper starts with a presentation of how the certification of flight-critical composite structures can be achieved within the framework of civil aviation safety authority requirements. Typical composites damage mechanisms, which make this process substantially different from that for metallic materials are discussed. The opportunities presented by the use of SHM techniques in future civil aircraft developments are explained. The paper then focuses on active SHM with piezoelectric wafer active sensors (PWAS). After reviewing the PWAS-based SHM options, the paper follows with a discussion of the specifics of guided wave propagation in composites and PWAS-tuning effects. The paper presents a number of experimental results for damage detection in simple flat unidirectional and quasi-isotropic composite specimens. Calibrated through holes of increasing diameter and impact damage of various energies and velocities are considered. The paper ends with conclusions and suggestions for further work.     

基于Lamb波的薄壁槽状结构损伤检测研究

研究复杂工程结构的结构健康监测技术具有现实意义。使用基于Lamb波的仿真和实验方法,对“U”形截面的铝合金构件中的损伤检测问题进行了研究。建立了构件的三维有限元模型并实现了Lamb波传播过程的动态仿真;实验中使用锆钛酸铅压电晶片（PZT wafer）来激发和接收在构件中传播的Lamb波。借助于连续小波变换（CWT）和希尔伯特变换（HT）等方法对仿真和实验中采集到的Lamb波信号进行处理,从中提取了与损伤有关的时域特征,建立了损伤位置和损伤反射波包飞行时间（ToF）之间的定量关系。     

Structural Health Monitoring Using Lamb Wave Reflections and Total Focusing Method for Image Reconstruction

This investigation aimed to adapt the total focusing method (TFM) algorithm (originated from the synthetic aperture focusing technique in digital signal processing) to accommodate a circular array of piezoelectric sensors (PZT) and characterise defects using guided wave signals for the development of a structural health monitoring system. This research presents the initial results of a broader study focusing on the development of a structural health monitoring (SHM) guided wave system for advance carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) composite materials. The current material investigated was an isotropic (aluminium) square plate with 16 transducers operating successively as emitter or sensor in pitch and catch configuration enabling the collection of 240 signals per assessment. The Lamb wave signals collected were tuned on the symmetric fundamental mode with a wavelength of 17 mm, by setting the excitation frequency to 300 kHz. The initial condition for the imaging system, such as wave speed and transducer position, were determined with post processing of the baseline signals through a method involving the identification of the waves reflected from the free edge of the plate. The imaging algorithm was adapted to accommodate multiple transmitting transducers in random positions. A circular defect of 10 mm in diameter was drilled in the plate, which is similar to the delamination size introduced by a low velocity impact event in a composite plate. Images were obtained by applying the TFM to the baseline signals, Test 1 data (corresponding to the signals obtained after introduction of the defect) and to the data derived from the subtraction of the baseline to the Test 1 signals. The result shows that despite the damage diameter being 40 % smaller than the wavelength, the image (of the subtracted baseline data) demonstrated that the system can locate where the waves were reflected from the defect boundary. In other words, the contour of the damaged area was highlighted enabling its size and position to be determined.     

基于弯折频率变换的Lamb波高分辨率损伤成像

Lamb波在结构健康监测中受到广泛关注,但其在传播过程中存在着多模和频散特性,不利于损伤定位和高分辨率成像。弯折频率变换（Warped Frequency Transform, WFT）通过构建合理的弯折映射可实现对频率轴的弯折。基于Lamb波群速度频散曲线设计弯折频率变换,则可用于Lamb波信号的处理。本文从直接补偿角度出发,利用WFT对传感信号进行频散抑制。提出了基于WFT的高分辨率损伤成像方法,利用有限元软件ABAQUS进行了带损伤铝板中Lamb波传播的仿真。仿真结果表明WFT能有效压缩频散的波包,通过本文所提成像方法可实现高分辨率损伤成像。     

Damage assessment in layered composites using spectral analysis and Lamb wave

Piezo-ceramic transducers of the surface mounted type are commonly used for structural health monitoring (SHM) techniques. But, there is a disadvantage to use piezo-ceramic transducers of the surface mounted type in Lamb wave application. Due to the symmetric and antisymmetric Lamb wave modes generated by the surface mounted piezo-ceramic transducers simultaneously, the received signals are very complex and it is difficult to extract damage information from the signals.

In this paper, the practical method for SHM was proposed using piezo-ceramic transducers of the surface mounted type and Lamb wave. In order to overcome the difficulties in the signal processing of the simultaneous modes, the symmetric and antisymmetric modes were separated by using the two sensors bonded on the opposite surfaces at the same point. Also, spectral analyses of the separated symmetric and antisymmetric Lamb waves showed that each mode propagated with different frequency characteristics in the exciting frequency range.

By making use of these findings, the changes of power spectrum density in characteristic frequency band of symmetric and antisymmetric modes are proportional to the delamination size in quasi-isotropic Gr/Ep laminates. Therefore, this paper presents the damage assessment technique to extract damage information from the complicated PZT signals that could not be interpreted in time domain.     

基于多维阵列和空间滤波器的损伤无波速成像定位方法

随着复合材料在航空结构中的广泛应用,基于压电传感器（PZTs）阵列和Lamb波的结构健康监测成像方法已经成为复合材料结构健康监测技术的研究热点,但是复合材料的各向异性特点导致依赖于信号传播速度的延迟-累加、相控阵等成像方法难以实现其损伤的准确监测。鉴于此,研究了一种与信号传播速度无关的空间滤波器损伤成像定位方法,该方法利用Lamb波在结构中传播时的空间-波数域特征,通过设置空间权重函数使压电传感器阵列形成波数带宽为[k_min,k_max]的空间-波数域滤波器对特定空间方位的Lamb波进行滤波,得到损伤的角度图像; 然后,利用多维线性压电传感器阵列各自针对损伤得到的角度图像进行融合,得到损伤的坐标图像,从而实现了在不依赖传播速度的情况下对损伤的成像定位。在碳纤维层合板上对该方法进行了实验验证。实验结果表明：基于多维线性压电传感器阵列和空间-波数域滤波算法的无波速成像定位方法可以对复合材料结构损伤进行不依赖信号传播速度的成像定位,定位误差在1 cm以内。     

Structural health monitoring of cylindrical structures using guided ultrasonic waves

The research field of structural health monitoring (SHM) in the realm of civil engineering has emerged rapidly. SHM concepts are based on integrated sensors and actuators to evaluate the structural state. Beside common structural response methods and other nondestructive testing techniques, wave-based ultrasonic techniques are widely used especially because of their flexibility. Monitoring cable structures such as overhead transmission lines or stay cables in suspension bridges is one objective of those wave-based methods. These structures are subject to aging, corrosion and other static and dynamic loads (e.g., wind, temperature). The cylindrical structures act as waveguides whereby monitoring of large distances with a single ultrasonic transducer is possible. However, the wave propagation is multimodal and dispersive, which complicates analysis of the wave motion and development of monitoring applications. This work addresses several aspects of the propagation of guided waves in cylinders, especially the analysis of reflection and transmission at discontinuities using finite element and boundary element methods.     

Numerical simulation of the guided Lamb wave propagation in particle reinforced composites

This paper deals with the investigation of the Lamb wave propagation in particle reinforced composites excited by piezoelectric patch actuators. A three-dimensional finite element method (FEM) modeling approach is set up to perform parameter studies in order to better understand how the Lamb wave propagation in particle reinforced composite plates is affected by change of central frequency of excitation signal, volume fraction of particles, size of particles and stiffness to density ratio of particles. Furthermore, the influence of different arrangements is investigated. Finally, the results of simplified models using material data obtained from numerical homogenization are compared to the results of models with heterogeneous build-up. The results show that the Lamb wave propagation properties are mainly affected by the volume fraction and ratio of stiffness to density of particles, whereas the particle size does not affect the Lamb wave propagation in the considered range. As the contribution of the stiffer material increases, the group velocity and the wave length also increase while the energy transmission reduces. Simplified models based on homogenization technique enabled a tremendous drop in computational costs and show reasonable agreement in terms of group velocity and wave length.     

厚梁结构中的导波传播与激励频率选择研究

通过导波在厚梁结构中传播时所表现出的特性,分析导波在厚梁结构中传播的机理。基于Rayleigh-Lamb方程,开发出用于绘制计算Lamb波在各向同性板结构中传播的频散曲线的专业软件。综合考虑在厚梁结构中影响导波激励中心频率选择的各种因素,如：选取适当的导波模式、降低频散效应的影响、增加导波信号的幅值、提高信号时域分辨率和抑制局部对称效应等。基于以上分析优化了激励信号的参数,并提出基于导波的结构健康性监测技术中激励频率选择的标准化流程。     

Guided waves in functionally graded viscoelastic plates

In this paper, a dynamic solution for the propagating viscoelastic waves in functionally graded material (FGM) plates subjected to stress-free conditions is presented in the context of the Kelvin–Voigt viscoelastic theory. The FGM plate is composed of two orthotropic materials. The material properties are assumed to vary in the thickness direction according to a known variation law. The three obtained wave equations are divided into two groups, which control viscoelastic Lamb-like wave and viscoelastic SH wave, respectively. They are solved respectively by the Legendre orthogonal polynomial series approach. The validity of the method is confirmed through a comparison with the Lamb wave solution of a pure elastic FGM plate and a comparison with the SH wave solution of a viscoelastic homogeneous plate. The dispersion curves and attenuation curves for the graded and homogeneous viscoelastic plates are calculated to highlight their differences. The viscous effect on dispersion curves is shown. The influences of gradient variations are illustrated.     

New Developments in Structural Health Monitoring Based on Diagnostic Lamb Wave

Structure health monitoring based on diagnostic Lamb waves has been found to be one of the most promising techniques recently. This paper has a brief review of the new developments on this method including the basic novel of the method, fundamentals and mathematics of Lamb wave propagation, narrowband and wideband Lamb wave excitation methods, optimization of excitation factors and diagnostic Lamb wave interpretation methods.     

基于时间反转加权分布的复合材料Lamb波损伤成像

超声Lamb波是检测板状结构损伤的常用方法,然而碳纤维增强聚合物基复合材料（Carbon Fiber ReinforcedPlastics,CFRP）本身的各向异性会对Lamb波的损伤成像和定位造成很大的影响。且大多数检测方法均采用健康结构的检测信号作为参考信号,用差信号的方法来实现损伤成像,该过程容易受到待测结构和实验环境变化等外界因素的影响。针对该问题,采用时间反转和加权分布成像相结合的方法,将其应用在复合材料板状结构的Lamb波损伤检测和成像中。仿真结果表明,该方法能够有效地实现板中单源脱层损伤和多源脱层损伤的二维成像与定位,且具有较高的精度和准确性。     

Laser-Generated Rayleigh Waves Propagating in Transparent Viscoelastic Adhesive Coating/Metal Substrate Systems

We have established numerical models for simulating laser-generated Rayleigh waves in coating/substrate systems by a finite element method and investigated the propagation characteristics of Rayleigh waves in systems concerning the viscoelasticity and transparency of adhesive coatings. In this way, we have studied the influence of the mechanical properties of the coating, such as the elastic moduli, viscoelastic moduli, coating thickness, transparency, and coating material, on the propagation characteristics of the Rayleigh waves. The results show that the propagation characteristics of the Rayleigh waves can be divided into low- and high-frequency parts. The high-frequency propagation characteristics of the Rayleigh wave are closely related to the properties of the adhesive coating.