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In this paper, we simulate some of the benchmark problems proposed by the World Federation of Nondestructive Evaluation Centers (WFNDEC) using a full wave simulation model based on accurate solutions to the boundary integral equations for ultrasonic scattering. Much of the previous work on modeling these problems relied on the Kirch-hoff approximation to find the scattered fields from defects. Here we instead use a numerical method, called the Nystrom method, for finding the scattered fields more accurately by solving the boundary integral equations of scattering. We compare our model’s predictions with both measurements and Kirchhoff approximation based models. We expect the presented results to serve as a validation of our model as well as a comparison between the Kirchhoff approximation and the Nystrom method.

Elastic waves in solids find important applications in ultrasonic non-destructive evaluation. The scattering of elastic waves has been treated using many approaches like the finite element method, boundary element method and Kirchhoff approximation. In this work, we propose a novel accurate and efficient high order Nystrom method to solve the boundary integral equations for elastodynamic scattering problems. This approach employs high order geometry description for the element, and high order interpolation for fields inside each element. Compared with the boundary element method, this approach makes the choice of the nodes for interpolation based on the Gaussian quadrature, which renders matrix elements for far field interaction free from integration, and also greatly simplifies the process for singularity and near singularity treatment. The proposed approach employs a novel efficient near singularity treatment that makes the solver able to handle extreme geometries like very thin penny-shaped crack. Nume...

While high frequency approximation methods are widely used to solve flaw scattering in ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation, full wave approaches based on integral equations have great potentials due to their high accuracy. In this work, boundary integral equations for acoustic wave scattering are solved using high order Nystrom method. Compared with boundary elements method, it features the coincidence of the samples for interpolation basis and quadrature, which makes the far-field interaction free from numerical integration. The singular integral is dealt with using the Duffy transformation, while efficient singularity subtraction techniques are employed to evaluate the near singular integrals. This approach has the ease to go high order so highly accurate results can be obtained with fewer unknowns and faster convergence, and it is also amenable to incorporate fast algorithms like the multi-level fast multi-pole algorithm. The convergence of the approach for different orders of elements and interpolation basis functions is investigated. Numerical results are shown to validate this approach.While high frequency approximation methods are widely used to solve flaw scattering in ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation, full wave approaches based on integral equations have great potentials due to their high accuracy. In this work, boundary integral equations for acoustic wave scattering are solved using high order Nystrom method. Compared with boundary elements method, it features the coincidence of the samples for interpolation basis and quadrature, which makes the far-field interaction free from numerical integration. The singular integral is dealt with using the Duffy transformation, while efficient singularity subtraction techniques are employed to evaluate the near singular integrals. This approach has the ease to go high order so highly accurate results can be obtained with fewer unknowns and faster convergence, and it is also amenable to incorporate fast algorithms like the multi-level fast multi-pole algorithm. The convergence of the approach for different orders of elements and interpolati...

The boundary integral equations (BIE) method is a numerical computational method of solving linear partial differential equations which have been formulated as integral equations. It can be applied in many areas of engineering and science including fluid mechanics, acoustics, electromagnetics, and fracture mechanics. The eddy current problem is formulated by the BIE and discretized into matrix equations by the method of moments (MoM) or the boundary element method (BEM). The three dimensional arbitrarily shaped objects are described by a number of triangular patches. The Stratton-Chu formulation is specialized for the conductive medium. The equivalent electric and magnetic surface currents are expanded in terms of Rao-Wilton-Glisson (RWG) vector basis function while the normal component of magnetic field is expanded in terms of the pulse basis function. Also, a low frequency approximation is applied in the external medium. Additionally, we introduce Auld’s impedance formulas to calculate impedance variati...

Previously, concentric coplanar capacitive sensors have been developed to quantitatively characterize the permittivity or thickness of one layer in multi‐layered dielectrics. Electrostatic Green’s functions due to a point source at the surface of one‐ to three‐layered test‐pieces were first derived in the spectral domain, under the Hankel transform. Green’s functions in the spatial domain were then obtained by using the appropriate inverse transform. Utilizing the spatial domain Green’s functions, the sensor surface charge density was calculated using the method of moments and the sensor capacitance was calculated from its surface charge. In the current work, the spectral domain Green’s functions are used to derive directly the integral equation for the sensor surface charge density in the spectral domain, using Parseval’s theorem. Then the integral equation is discretized to form matrix equations using the method of moments. It is shown that the spatial domain approach is more computationally efficient, whereas the Green’s function derivation and numerical implementation are easier for the spectral domain approach.

A novel boundary integral equation (BIE) is developed for eddy‐current nondestructive evaluation problems with surface crack under a uniform applied magnetic field. Once the field and its normal derivative are obtained for the structure in the absence of cracks, normal derivative of scattered field on the conductor surface can be calculated by solving this equation with the aid of method of moments (MoM). This equation is more efficient than conventional BIEs because of a smaller computational domain needed.

Eddy current nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of airframe structures involves the detection of electromagnetic field irregularities due to non‐conducting inhomogeneities in an electrically conducting material, which often treats with complicated geometrical features such as cracks, fasteners, sharp corners/edges, multi‐layered structures, etc. The eddy‐current problem can be formulated by the boundary integral equations (BIE) and discretized into matrix equations by the method of moments (MoM) or the boundary element method (BEM). This paper introduces the implementation of Stratton‐Chu formulation for the conductive medium, in which the induced electric and magnetic surface currents are expanded in terms of Rao‐Wilton‐Glisson (RWG) vector basis function and the normal component of magnetic field is expanded in terms of pulse basis function. Also, a low frequency approximation is applied in the external medium, that is, free space in our case. Computational tests are presented to demonstrate the accuracy a...

Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of airframe structures may involve finding eddy‐current distributions in complicated geometrical features including cracks, fasteners, sharp corners/edges, multi‐layered structures, complex ferrite‐cored probes, etc. The eddy‐current problem can be formulated in terms of boundary integral equations (BIE), which can be discretized into matrix equations by the method of moments (MoM) or the boundary element method (BEM). The Fast Multipole Method (FMM) is a well‐established and effective method for accelerating numerical solutions of the matrix equations. Accelerated by the FMM, the BIE method can now solve large‐scale electromagnetic wave propagation and diffusion problems. The traditional BIE method requires O(N2) operations to compute the system of equations and another O(N3) operations to solve the system using direct solvers, with N being the number of unknowns; in contrast, the BIE method accelerated by the two‐level FMM can potentially reduce the operations and memory ...

The Fast Multipole Method (FMM) is a well‐established and effective method for accelerating numerical solutions of the boundary integral equations (BIE). The BIE method, accelerated by the FMM, can solve large‐scale electromagnetic wave propagation and diffusion problems with up to a million unknowns on a personal computer. The conventional BIE method requires O(N2) operations to compute the system of equations and another O(N2) operations to solve the system using iterative solvers, with N being the number of unknowns; in contrast, the BIE method accelerated by the two‐level FMM can potentially reduce the operations and memory requirement to O(N3/2). This paper introduces the procedure of the FMM accelerated BIE method, which is not only efficient in meshing complicated geometries, accurate for solving singular fields or fields in infinite domains, but also practical and often superior to other methods in solving large‐scale problems. The two‐dimensional Helmholtz equation with a complex wave number for ...