Mutual interaction of guided waves in plate : finite element studies

Abstract

Recent theoretical modeling has provided an understanding of how ultrasonic guided waves interact in a plate, while initial experiments have demonstrated promise for using mutual wave interactions to detect material degradation at an early stage. The theoretical modeling enables a rational approach to selecting the type of wave modes, their frequencies, and propagation directions in order to create strong secondary waves that can be used to detect changes in the material nonlinearity. In this paper, finite element simulations of four different cases of ultrasonic guided wave mixing are presented to demonstrate some interesting features that could be beneficial for laboratory measurements.