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Simulation-driven structural health monitoring (SHM) is crucial for enhancing the safety and reliability of structures. Its primary aim is to utilize numerical simulations to design efficient SHM systems, reducing costs while maintaining effectiveness. However, challenges arise due to disparities between simulations and physical measurements, stemming from uncertainties, noise, and simplifications. These challenges also extend to SHM methods using machine learning, particularly deep neural networks (DNNs). This paper bridges the gap between DNNs trained on simulated data and real-world experiments by investigating three transfer learning (TL) techniques: feature augmentation, direct fine-tuning, and boosting-based fine-tuning. The focus is on guided wave damage interaction coefficients (WDICs) as damage-sensitive features, modeled by DNNs for damage identification in thin plates, commonly found in aerospace structures like aircraft fuselages. This classification task compares measured and predicted WDICs in a common guided wave SHM configuration with one actuator and three sensors. Training and extensive testing datasets are generated using advanced finite element simulations and laser Doppler vibrometer experiments. The study demonstrates that TL techniques significantly enhance DNN prediction accuracy and improve damage identification performance for untrained scenarios compared to purely simulation-based DNNs. Among the TL approaches explored, feature augmentation with appropriate activation functions and boosting-based fine-tuning yield the most promising results. Using four out of twelve TL datasets, feature augmentation reduces the simulation-based mean absolute percentage error from 46.80% to 35.98% and increases coefficient of determination R 2 values from 0.02 to 0.72. With six TL datasets and a boosting-based fine tuning, the mean absolute percentage error decreases from 47.42% to 35.20%, maintaining similar R 2 values. While TL substantially enhances prediction accuracy, its impact on damage identification is slightly less pronounced, with improvements in relative classification accuracy by approximately 5% compared to simulation-based DNNs. These findings highlight the efficacy of TL techniques for damage identification in thin plates using WDICs and DNNs, emphasizing the influence of TL training and DNN model variations. Furthermore, they showcase the potential of TL methods to enhance DNN performance in future SHM applications, particularly emphasizing the promise of feature augmentation and boosting. • Novel simulation-driven structural health monitoring technique using guided waves. • Deep neural network modeling to predict wave damage interaction coefficients. • Bridging disparity between simulations and experiments through transfer learning. • Study of transfer learning techniques based on feature augmentation and fine tuning. • Demonstrated significant enhancement in simulation-based neural network performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Circumferential ultrasonic waves in a piezoelectric tube generate a static torque. • This effect is explained on the basis of lattice dynamics and simulated with FEM. • The magnitude of the torque strongly depends on the ultrasound attenuation. • The influence of different loss channels in the piezoelectric has been quantified. The excitation of acoustic waves by a unidirectional transducer, integrated in a piezoelectric cylindrical tube or disk, can lead to a time-independent torque. This phenomenon, demonstrated earlier in experiments and analyzed with coupling-of mode theory, is explained in detail, starting on the level of lattice dynamics of a piezoelectric crystal. Expressions are derived for the stationary torque in the form of integrals over the volume or surface of the piezoelectric, involving the electric potential and displacement field associated with the acoustic waves generated by the transducer. Simulations have been carried out with the help of the finite element method for a tube made of PZT for two cases: A pre-defined potential on the surface of the tube and metal electrodes buried in the piezoelectric. The displacement field and electric potential of the high-frequency acoustic waves (between 200 and 300 kHz) were computed and used in the evaluation of the integrals. The attenuation due to various loss channels of the acoustic waves in the system has been analyzed in detail, as this plays a crucial role for the efficiency of torque generation. It is conjectured that time-reversal symmetry, present in the absence of attenuation, prohibits the generation of a static torque at least in the linear limit. A qualitative comparison is made between the simulations and earlier experiments. Discrepancies are attributed to lack of knowledge of the relevant material constants of the piezoelectric and to a simplified modeling of the electrode geometry in the cylindrical tube, which was necessary for reasons of numerical accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The study demonstrates that corrosion degradation significantly affects the shape of propagating wavefronts in plate structures. • A novel procedure for assessing the state of corroded structures based on wavefront symmetry is introduced. • The numerical and experimental study for corroded an intact plates demonstrated the possible application on bilateral and rotational symmetricity in corrosion assessment. • Numerical simulations have been performed for plated modeled using random fields method. The article presents the results of numerical and experimental investigation of guided wave propagation in steel plates subjected to corrosion degradation. The development of novel procedures allowing for the assessment of the corrosion degradation level is crucial in the effective diagnostics of offshore and ship structures that are especially subjected to aggressive environments. The study's main aim is to investigate the influence of surface irregularities on wave propagation characteristics. The paper investigates wavefront asymmetry caused by the non-uniform thickness of damaged specimens. In the first step, the influence of thickness variability on the symmetry of the wave field has been investigated numerically. The corroded plates with variable degrees of degradation have been modeled using the random fields approach. The degree of degradation (DoD) varied from 0% to 40%. In the next step, the developed method was examined during experimental tests performed on specimens subjected to accelerated corrosion degradation. The experimental tests were conducted for intact and for corroded plates characterized by a DoD of 10%. It is demonstrated that the new approach based on wave field analysis can be used in structural state assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) based structural health monitoring applications are used in various engineering types of damage prediction and detection analysis. FBG can serve as an effective sensor for data monitoring applications as they are more robust in harsh environmental conditions and can be embedded directly into the structure. The paper aims to study the effect of the guided wave (GW) relative magnitude based on the bond and bond length with different piezoelectric lead zirconate transducer (PZT actuator) connections. The paper compares the signal amplitudes between the directly bonded and remotely bonded FBG in the structure. A parametric study was also conducted based on signal attenuation to show the changes in the bond lengths affecting the GW. The study is conducted on the subsystem-level aluminum structure. The bond length wave attenuation-based studies were done by applying glue at various distances from the FBG sensor and glue of various spread lengths to facilitate the concept of remote and direct bonding configurations. The paper tends to predict Lamb wave modes based on the arrival time and check effective bonding type in producing quality signal amplitude with different PZT connections.

Structural health monitoring (SHM) systems may allow a reduction in maintenance costs and extend the lifetime of the structure. As a result, they are of interest to the research community. Ideally, the SHM methods should be low cost, while being able to detect and localize small levels of damage reliably and accurately. The fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors are light in weight, insensitive to electric and magnetic fields, and can be embedded. The edge filtering configuration for transduction allows the use of FBG for guided wave (GW) sensing. This sensitivity may be further enhanced through their application in the remote bonded configuration. This paper provides a proof-of-concept for the use of remotely bonded FBG for damage localization. In order to improve the computational efficiency, a particle swarm optimization (PSO) based algorithm is developed. The PSO allows a significant improvement in the computation time which makes it better suited for real-time damage localization. The proposed objective function is based on the exponential elliptical approach. First, the suitability of the PSO for damage localization is shown. Then the performance of the chosen objective function is compared with the brute-force algorithm as well as other objective functions found in the literature. The methodology is employed on a simple aluminum plate. The results indicate that indeed the objective function along with the PSO is suitable for damage localization. Also as the objective function is developed taking into consideration the specific challenges with the use of FBG sensors, performs better than the other objective functions as well as the brute force algorithm.

This work determined the attenuation coefficients of Lamb waves of ten engineering materials and compared the results with calculated Lamb-wave attenuation coefficients, α–S and α–A. The Disperse program and a parametric method based on Disperse results were used for calculations. Bulk-wave attenuation coefficients, αL and αT, were required as input parameters to the Disperse calculations. The calculated α–S and α–A values were found to be dominated by the αT contribution. Often α–Ao coincided with αT. The values of αL and αT were previously obtained or newly measured. Attenuation measurement relied on Lamb-wave generation by pulsed excitation of ultrasonic transducers and on surface-displacement detection with point contact receivers. The frequency used ranged from 10 kHz to 1 MHz. A total of 14 sheet and plate samples were evaluated. Sample materials ranged from steel, Al, and silicate glass with low attenuation to polymers and a fiber composite with much higher attenuation. Experimentally obtained Lamb-wave attenuation coefficients, α–S and α–A, for symmetric and asymmetric modes, were mostly for the zeroth mode. Plots of α–So and α–Ao values against frequency were found to coincide reasonably well to theoretically calculated curves. This study confirmed that the Disperse program predicts Lamb-wave attenuation coefficients for elastically isotropic materials within the limitation of the contact ultrasonic techniques used. Further refinements in experimental methods are needed, as large deviations often occurred, especially at low and high frequencies. Methods of refinement are suggested. Displacement measurements were quantified using Rayleigh wave calibration. For signals below 300 kHz, 1-mV receiver output corresponded to 1-pm displacement. Peak displacements after 200-mm propagation were found to range from 10 pm to 1.5 nm. With the use of signal averaging, the point-contact sensor was capable of detecting 1-pm displacement with 40 dB signal-to-noise ratio and had equivalent noise of 4.3 fm/√Hz. Approximate expressions for α–So and α–Ao were obtained, and an empirical correlation was found between bulk-wave attenuation coefficients, i.e., αT = 2.79 αL, for over 150 materials.

Numerical methods, including machine-learning methods, are now actively used in applications related to elastic guided wave propagation phenomena. The method proposed in this study for material-properties characterization is based on an algorithm of the clustering of multivariate data series obtained as a result of the application of the matrix pencil method to the experimental data. In the developed technique, multi-objective optimization is employed to improve the accuracy of the identification of particular parameters. At the first stage, the computationally efficient method based on the calculation of the Fourier transform of Green’s matrix is employed iteratively and the obtained solution is used for filter construction with decreasing bandwidths providing nearly noise-free classified data (with mode separation). The filter provides data separation between all guided waves in a natural way, which is needed at the second stage, where a more laborious method based on the minimization of the slowness residuals is applied to the data. The method might be further employed for material properties identification in plates with thin coatings/interlayers, multi-layered anisotropic laminates, etc.

An algorithm for processing of crosshole seismic survey data enabling recognizing the type and evaluate the characteristics of geological anomalies using a system of criteria is described. As part of the algorithm, the procedures for creating a line certificate, calculating amplitude spectra, velocity spectra, velocity response spectra, filtering operation, and travel-time graph plotting are performed. Then calculation of kinematic and dynamic parameters in the selected velocity gates and statistical processing are performed. The fundamental algorithm procedures are tomographic determination of the wavefield parameters in the extraction panel plane, selection and interpretation of anomalous zones using prediction criteria for determining the dislocation type. It is shown that it is advisable to perform the tomographic determination of the wavefield parameters in the extraction panel plane in the velocity gates of the identified wave packets in sequence for the main informative parameters. Analysis of the amplitude modulus maximum velocity distribution provides high accuracy in terms of identifying anomalous zones. This parameter is relative independent of random factors. The analysis of the wave packet characteristic frequency offsetting is the only key source allowing judge both presence and type of dislocation. Analysis of the distribution of wave packet amplitudes is characterized by high accuracy in terms of identifying anomalous zones. However, its use is complicated by the dependence on many random factors. Other parameters have much less information content and can be used as auxiliary ones. The algorithm is implemented in the software enabling automating the most labor-intensive operations. Its use was illustrated by the example of the analysis and interpretation of the seismic study findings in longwall 37K10-V of the Kuzembaev Mine (Kazakhstan).

Guided waves have immense potential for structural health monitoring applications in numerous industries including aerospace. It is necessary to evaluate guided wave dispersion characteristics, i.e., group velocity and phase velocity profiles, for using them effectively. For complex structures, the profiles can have highly irregular shapes. In this work, a direct method for calculating the group velocity profiles for complex, composite, and periodic structures using a wave and finite element scheme is presented. The group velocity calculation technique is easy to implement, highly computationally efficient, and works with the standard finite element formulation. The major contribution is summarised in the form of a comprehensive algorithm for calculating the group velocity profiles. The method is compared with the existing analytical and numerical methods for calculation of dispersion curves. Finally, an experimental study in a multilayered composite plate is conducted and the results are found to be in good agreement. The technique is suitable to be used in all guided wave application areas such as material characterisation, non-destructive testing, and structural health monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Health monitoring of cables in civil engineering structures is a great challenge, because their integrity directly affects the safety of the whole structure. A magnetostrictive (MS) transducer‐based guided wave method for cable damage detection is presented in this study. A wave energy‐based method is proposed for damage localization and severity assessment. The wave energy transmission coefficient at the damage location is presented as a measure for the damage condition. Firstly, the wave dispersion properties were analyzed on a steel strand with seven helical wires using a semi‐analytical finite element (SAFE) method. Then, the selection of exciting frequency and design of the MS transducer were carried out based on the SAFE analysis results. Numerical and experimental studies were performed on multiple cases of wire breakage and corrosion using the pitch‐catch method. Time‐of‐flight information on the wave packets reflected from the damages was used for damage localizations, while wavelet coefficients were used to accurately analyze wave energy transmission and reflection. It has been found that the damage locations and damage conditions can be determined accurately using the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes a new damage visualization method to investigate and analyze propagating guided Lamb waves using analyses of wavefield spatial gradients. A laser ultrasonic interrogation system was used to create full-field ultrasonic data measurements for ultrasonic wavefield imaging. The laser scanning process was performed based on both a raster scan and a circle scan. From the high-resolution wavefield data, a spatial gradient–based image processing technique was developed using gradient vectors to extract features sensitive to defects. Local impedance changes at the damaged area would result in a local distortion of the waveform which was captured and quantified by the variation of the gradient vectors in the scanning area as time evolves. Such variation was accumulated over time with a statistical threshold filter to generate a gradient-orientation map for damage visualization. The proposed algorithm was capable of producing distinctive damage patterns when tested experimentally on a 3-mm aluminum plate with multiple simultaneous simulated defects. Compared to conventional techniques like local wavenumber estimation, the generation of the accumulated orientation map involves no filtering process in the frequency or wavenumber domain, at the expense of more accurate shaping of the defect. A spatial covariance analysis was adopted to locate damage from the results as well as to evaluate the correlation between different kinds of defects. Combining the proposed approach with conventional laser ultrasonic imaging techniques enables a fast and robust damage identification and characterization process which requires lower computational burden and practical operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrasonic guided waves are used in non-destructive testing and structural health monitoring solutions for long-range inspection, in applications ranging from Civil Engineering to Aerospace. In order to ease the inspection process, it is generally preferable to generate a carefully selected single mode. Although single mode Lamb wave generation is not difficult to achieve in infinite plate-like structures, with carefully polarized or sized piezoceramic elements, for example, such selective generation is much more difficult in a rectangular bar. In this article, we consider the propagation along a thin plate of finite rectangular cross section, which corresponds to a rectangular bar. The finite lateral width leads to a greater density of modes compared to an infinite plate. The authors have previously addressed this matter and developed a methodology for the selective generation of modes in the harmonic regime. This article extends this methodology to selective mode generation for finite time excitation, such as bursts. Results are presented for single mode generation of A0,0 and A0,1 in an aluminum bar instrumented with eight piezoelectric transducers. The waveguide modal basis is calculated with the two-dimensional semi-analytical finite element method, and measurements are conducted using a three-dimensional laser-Doppler vibrometer. To illustrate the potential of the method for structural health monitoring purposes, the detection of a defect simulated by a pair of magnets placed at various positions over the bar width is demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cement paste is the primary constituent of concrete that keeps all other constituents together and gives concrete its strength. During curing, the cement is developed as a binder by going through various chemical reactions. In the present study, ultrasonic testing is carried out on concrete samples during curing in transmission mode. The acoustic signals are generated using lead zirconate titanate (PZT) transducers which are excited by a sweeping frequency signal. Nondestructive testing and evaluation were carried out at various stages of curing for concrete with two different watercement ratios (w/c). The obtained signals were processed to analyze the change in signal characteristics during the different stages of curing. It was found that the nonlinear ultrasonic technique called the side band peak count (SPC) index, which is derived from the frequency spectra, exhibits a clear distinction among various concrete specimens at different stages of curing. Linear ultrasonic parameters, however, do not show such consistency. Therefore, the nonlinear ultrasonic technique provides an easy and effective way for monitoring the degree of concrete curing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Welded steel I‐beams are widely used in civil infrastructures and industrial facilities as the major load‐carrying members. The fillet weld zone, which connects the web plate and flange plate, is vulnerable to defects and fatigue cracks during the long service life, which may result in catastrophic accidents. In this study, a guided wave‐based damage assessment method is presented to monitor the weld zone of a steel I‐beam under ambient temperature variations. The semi‐analytical finite element (SAFE) analysis was performed to investigate the characteristics of guided wave propagation in a welded I‐beam. A signal‐processing procedure that incorporates the principal component analysis (PCA) and independent component analysis (ICA) was proposed for damage assessment. The PCA was performed to identify and eliminate significant environmental effects from the guided wave signals. Reconstructed residual signals were obtained from the PCA for damage detection. The ICA was performed to improve the damage localization by identifying the wave packets that are closely related to the occurrence of damage. Lab‐scale experiments were performed on a steel I‐beam under various ambient temperatures. The results show that the inflicted cuts on the weld line have been successfully detected. The damage severity can be qualitatively evaluated based on the magnitudes of Q‐statistics through the PCA. The results of the damage localization can be effectively improved by incorporating the ICA‐based signal decomposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last years, a significant interest has been pointed out in the capability of ultrasonic guided waves as candidate tool for structural health monitoring (SHM), due to their high damage detection sensitivity and low power consumption. The monitoring of the structural health through the propagation of guided waves is complex: some wave phenomena, namely dispersion and slowness, together with boundary scattered waves, may mask the presence of damages. So, studying the dispersion phenomenon through the dispersion curves may be helpful in understanding the propagation mechanisms. As Lamb waves dispersion equations do not generally have analytical solutions, the development of a predictive finite element (FE) model can be a valuable tool for the improvement of SHM systems, avoiding the high cost of experimental campaigns. Thus, once calibrated with respect to an experimental test case, the developed FE model can be used to simulate and predict guided‐wave propagation mechanisms in a given structure. This leads to the possibility of employing such approach to identify and localize potential structural damages, that is the final aim of an SHM system. In this work, the FE method, together with an in‐house code, has been used to investigate guided wave dispersion phenomenon in plates for possible SHM applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A numerical approach for analyzing the guided wave propagation behavior in a functionally graded material (FGM) hollow cylinder is presented. Based on the three-dimensional linear elasticity theory, the state matrix form of displacement and stress component is introduced into the differential governing equation. Combining with boundary conditions, the dispersion characteristic equations can be constructed. Meanwhile, taking the orthogonal completeness of Legendre series into consideration, the exhausting root findings of transcendental equation can be avoided, and it transforms the redundant integral operators into analytical expressions by means of its recursive properties. Moreover, it is not only unnecessary to stratify FGMs, and introducing the univariate nonlinear regression to modelling the arbitrary gradient distribution, and transforming the redundant integral operator into an analytical expression by means of recursive property. It should be pointed out that the coefficient matrix consists only zero and constant terms, which are related to the elastic constants and normalized wave number. And it provides a fast and effectively approach to extracting the dispersion curves, displacement distribution and stress profile, simultaneously. Meanwhile, the proposed method can get rid of the exhausted root-finding algorithm, and accordingly distinguish the different modes and the dispersion curves simultaneously. Finally, the typical non-stratified computation of dispersion curves of longitudinal guided wave for FGM hollow cylinder is realized. The accuracy of the proposed method is further demonstrated through comparison with the available data from Legendre polynomial method. Several numerical cases about iron based alumina FGM cylinder are studied, and the convergence of the present polynomial approach is discussed. Then the effect of the circumferential wave number, gradient variation, diameter-thickness ratio on the dispersion characteristics are illustrated. Moreover, the distribution characteristics of displacement and stress profiles of F(1,1) mode at a given frequency are discussed in detail. It is shown that the state-vector formalism and Legendre polynomial hybrid approach is a powerful tool in solving wave motions in FGM elastic cylinder, which lays a theoretical foundation for the non-destructive evaluation and quantitative characterization of the gradient structure characteristics of functionally graded hollow cylinder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multilayered carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRP) are increasingly used in aircraft components because of their superior mechanical properties. However, composite materials are vulnerable to impact loads, resulting in delamination-type damage which, if unnoticed, could lead to catastrophic structural failure. The objective of this research was to investigate possibilities to improve damage detection and the localization using signal processing methods. Numerical modeling using the semi-analytical finite element (SAFE) method was performed to obtain guided wave dispersion curves and to perform modal analysis. From the modal analysis, A0 mode for inspection of the composite with delamination type defects was selected. From the numerical simulation, A0 mode interaction with delamination along the longitudinal direction was analyzed and the location of the defect was estimated by measuring the time of flight (ToF) of the signal using Hilbert transform (HT) and continuous wavelet transform (CWT). The CWT has shown better results in estimating the delamination location compared with HT. The depth of delamination was characterized in the frequency domain by comparing the amplitude of the A0 mode. Inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) is recommended to reconstruct the reflected and transmitted modes for better damage detection and to reduce the complexity of signal interpretation.

Guided waves are a potent tool in structural health monitoring, with promising machine learning algorithm applications due to the complexity of their signals. However, these algorithms usually require copious amounts of data to be trained. Collecting the correct amount and distribution of data is costly and time-consuming, and sometimes even borderline impossible due to the necessity of introducing damage to vital machinery to collect signals for various damaged scenarios. This data scarcity problem is not unique to guided waves or structural health monitoring, and has been partly addressed in the field of computer vision using generative adversarial neural networks. These networks generate synthetic data samples based on the distribution of the data they were trained on. Though there are multiple researched methods for simulating guided wave signals, the problem is not yet solved. This work presents a generative adversarial network architecture for guided waves generation and showcases its capabilities when working with a series of pitch-catch experiments from the OpenGuidedWaves database. The network correctly generates random signals and can accurately reconstruct signals it has not seen during training. The potential of synthetic data to be used for training other algorithms was confirmed in a simple damage detection scenario, with the classifiers trained exclusively on synthetic data and evaluated on real signals. As a side effect of the signal reconstruction process, the network can also compress the signals by 98.44% while retaining the damage index information they carry.

Ultrasonic based inspection of thin-walled structures often requires prior knowledge of their mechanical properties. Their accurate estimation could be achieved in a non-destructive manner employing, e.g., elastic guided waves. Such procedures require efficient approaches for experimental data extraction and processing, which is still a challenging task. An advanced automated technique for material properties identification of an elastic waveguide is proposed in this investigation. It relies on the information on dispersion characteristics of guided waves, which are extracted by applying the matrix pencil method to the measurements obtained via laser Doppler vibrometry. Two objective functions have been successfully tested, and the advantages of both approaches are discussed (accuracy vs. computational costs). The numerical analysis employing the synthetic data generated via the mathematical model as well as experimental data shows that both approaches are stable and accurate. The influence of the presence of various modes in the extracted data is investigated. One can conclude that the influence of the corruptions related to the extraction of dispersion curves is not critical if the majority of guided waves propagating in the considered frequency range are presented. Possible extensions of the proposed technique for damaged and multi-layered structures are also discussed.

The paper deals with the issue of modelling elastic wave propagation using the discrete element method (DEM). The case of a longitudinal wave in a rod with a circular cross-section was considered. A novel, complex algorithm consisting of the preparation of models and simulation of elastic waves was developed. A series of DEM models were prepared for simulations, differing in discretisation and material parameters. Additional calculations with the finite element method (FEM) were performed. Numerical wave signals were obtained from each simulation and compared with experimental results to choose the best DEM model based on the correlation between the waveforms. Moreover, dispersion curves were prepared for each model to verify the agreement with the Pochhammer-Chree wave propagation theory. Both experimental and theoretical approaches indicated the same model as the most suitable. The analysis results allowed stating that DEM can be successfully used for modelling wave propagation in structural rods.

Hidden corrosion defects can lead to dangerous accidents such as leakage of toxic materials causing extreme environmental and economic consequences. Ultrasonic guided waves showed good potential detecting distributed corrosion in pipeline networks at sufficiently large distances. To simplify signal analysis, traditional guided wave methods use low frequencies where only fundamental modes exist; hence, the small, localized defects are usually barely detectable. Novel techniques frequently use higher order guided wave modes that propagate around the circumference of the pipe and are more sensitive to the localized changes in the wall thickness. However current high order mode guided wave technology commonly uses either non-dispersive shear modes or higher order mode cluster (HOMC) waves that are mostly sensitive to surface defects. As the number of application cases of high order modes to corrosion detection is still limited, a huge potential is available to seek for other modes that can offer improved resolution and sensitivity to localized corrosion type defects. The objective of this work was to investigate higher order modes for corrosion detection and to determine the most promising ones in sense of excitability, leakage losses, propagation distance, and potential simplicity in the analysis. The selection of the proper mode is discussed with the support of phase and group velocity dispersion curves, out of plane and in plane distributions over the thickness and on surface of the sample, and leakage losses due to water load. The analysis led to selection of symmetric S3 mode, while the excitation of it was demonstrated through finite element simulations, taking into account the size of phased array aperture and apodization law and considering two-sided mode generation. Finally, theoretical estimations were confirmed with experiments, demonstrating the ability to generate and receive selected mode. It was shown that S3 mode is a good candidate for corrosion screening around the circumference of the pipe, as it has sufficient propagation distance, can be generated with conventional ultrasonic (UT) phased arrays, has sufficiently high group velocity to be distinguished from co-existing modes, and is sensitive to the loss of wall thickness.

We image the internal structure of the San Jacinto fault zone (SJFZ) near Anza, California, with seismic data recorded by two dense arrays (RA and RR) from ∼42 000 local and ∼180 teleseismic events occurring between 2012 and 2017. The RA linear array has short aperture (∼470 m long with 12 strong motion sensors) and recorded for the entire analysed time window, whereas the RR is a large three-component nodal array (97 geophones across a ∼2.4 km × 1.4 km area) that operated for about a month in September–October 2016. The SJFZ at the site contains three near-parallel surface traces F1, F2 and F3 from SW to NE that have accommodated several M w > 6 earthquakes in the past 15 000 yr. Waveform changes in the fault normal direction indicate structural discontinuities that are consistent with the three fault surface traces. Relative slowness from local events and delay time analysis of teleseismic arrivals in the fault normal direction suggest a slower SW side than the NE with a core damage zone between F1 and F2. This core damage zone causes ∼0.05 s delay at stations RR26–31 in the teleseismic P arrivals compared with the SW-most station, and generates both P - and S -type fault zone trapped waves. Inversion of S trapped waves indicates the core damaged structure is ∼100 m wide, ∼4 km deep with a Q value of ∼20 and 40 per cent S -wave velocity reduction compared with bounding rocks. Fault zone head waves observed at stations SW of F3 indicate a local bimaterial interface that separates the locally faster NE block from the broad damage zone in the SW at shallow depth and merges with a deep interface that separates the regionally faster NE block from rocks to the SW with slower velocities at greater depth. The multiscale structural components observed at the site are related to the geological and earthquake rupture history at the site, and provide important information on the preferred NW propagation of earthquake ruptures on the San Jacinto fault. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power splitters are considered essential components in optical interconnects. In this research work, two different designs of 1×2 3-dB small-footprint high-performance plasmonic power splitters with less than 1% loss in each branch are proposed and numerically investigated using the finite-difference-time-domain method. Based on the simulation results, we show that unequal splitting ratio can be achieved by breaking the symmetry of the two plasmonic branches either by changing the width or the position of one of the splitter branches with respect to the other one. Moreover, the proposed splitters' designs have the advantage of improving the alignment tolerance of the two plasmonic branches with respect to the centre of the dielectric waveguide in addition to broadening the spectrum response of the splitter. Our proposed technique can be extended to 1×N power splitters in addition to being employed in various high density photonic integration and nano-plasmonic circuits such as directional couplers and Mach–Zehnder interferometers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

About a decade ago, noise-based monitoring became a key tool in seismology. One of the tools is passive image interferometry (PII), which uses noise correlation functions (NCF) to retrieve seismic velocity variations. Most studies apply PII to vertical components recording oceanic low-frequent ambient noise (< 1 Hz). In this work, PII is applied to high-frequent urban ambient noise (> 1 Hz) on three three-component sensors. With environmental sensors inside the subsurface and in the air, we are able to connect observed velocity variations with environmental parameters. Temperatures below 0 °C correlate well with strong shear wave velocity increases. The temperature sensors inside the ground suggest that a frozen layer of less than 5 cm thickness causes apparent velocity increases above 2  % , depending on the channel pair. The observations indicate that the different velocity variation retrieved from the different channel pairs are due to different surface wave responses inherent in the channel pairs. With dispersion curve modelling in a 1-D medium we can verify that surfaces waves of several tens of metres wavelength experience a velocity increase of several percent due to a centimetres thick frozen layer. Moreover, the model verifies that Love waves show larger velocity increases than Rayleigh waves. The findings of this study provide new insights for monitoring with PII. A few days with temperature below 0 °C can already mask other potential targets (e.g. faults or storage sites). Here, we suggest to use vertical components, which is less sensitive to the frozen layer at the surface. If the target is the seasonal freezing, like in permafrost studies, we suggest to use three-component sensors in order to retrieve the Love wave response. This opens the possibility to study other small-scale processes at the shallow subsurface with surface wave responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since damage identification results can be impressed by the effects due to changes in environmental and operational conditions, developing an effective monitoring system without any prior measured baseline data, while a structure is in its pristine condition, has gained much attraction recently. The instantaneous baseline damage identification method is one of the advanced techniques that works based on the concept of identicality of measured signals of similar paths. To hold this concept true, not only must the material properties, electromechanical characteristics, and the structure geometric features be identical, but also other features such as the sensor distance between equivalent paths and the geometrical parameters of the sensors must be the same. In this work, the influence of uncertainties in the length of sensing paths, which can be caused by sensor installation and tolerances in the dimensions of transducers, on the accuracy of instantaneous damage identification results is thoroughly investigated. In this paper, two damage index algorithms, i.e., correlation-based and wavelet-based algorithms, are employed, and the sensitivity of the methods to the mentioned uncertainties are numerically examined utilizing finite element (FE) simulation. The results are verified with the existing experimental data. Conclusively, the instantaneous wavelet-based method is not much sensitive to the transducers' dislocation, and no special requirement is needed for their installation. However, the instantaneous damage identification results obtained using the correlation-based method are independent of the inequality in the dimensions of the transducers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantifying corrosion damage is vital for the petrochemical industry, and guided wave tomography can provide thickness maps of such regions by transmitting guided waves through these areas and capturing the scattering information using arrays. The dispersive nature of the guided waves enables a reconstruction of wave velocity to be converted into thickness. However, existing approaches have been shown to be limited in in-plane resolution, significantly short of that required to accurately image a defect target of three times the wall thickness (i.e. 3 T) in each in-plane direction. This is largely due to the long wavelengths of the fundamental modes commonly used, being around 4 T for both A0 and S0 at the typical operation points. In this work, the suitability of the first-order shear-horizontal guided wave mode, SH1, has been investigated to improve the resolution limit. The wavelength at the desired operating point is significantly shorter, enabling an improvement in resolution of around 2.4 times. This is first verified by realistic finite-element simulations and then validated by experimental results, confirming the improved resolution limit can now allow defects of maximum extent 3T-by-3T to be reliably detected and sized, i.e. a long-pursued goal of guided wave tomography has been achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the practical issues connected with guided wave measurement are studied: (1) the influence of gluing of PZT plate actuators (NAC2013) on generated elastic wave propagation, (2) the repeatability of PZT transducers attachment, and (3) the assessment of the possibility of comparing the results of Laser Doppler Vibrometry (LDV) measurement performed on different 2D samples. The consideration of these questions is crucial in the context of the assessment of the possibility of the application of the guided wave phenomenon to structural health-monitoring systems, e.g., in civil engineering. In the examination, laboratory tests on the web of steel I-section specimens were conducted. The size and shape of the specimens were developed in such a way that they were similar to the elements typically used in civil engineering structures. It was proved that the highest amplitude of the generated wave was obtained when the exciters were glued using wax. The repeatability and durability of this connection type were the weakest. Due to this reason, it was not suitable for practical use outside the laboratory. The permanent glue application gave a stable connection between the exciter and the specimen, but the generated signal had the lowest amplitude. In the paper, the new procedure dedicated to objective analysis and comparison of the elastic waves propagating on the surface of different specimens was proposed. In this procedure, the genetic algorithms help with the determination of a new coordinate system, in which the assessment of the quality of wave propagation in different directions is possible.

The area close to the submerging point of off-shore steel catenary risers is difficult to access for inspections, since neither divers or climbers can work safely under the severe splash conditions. Hence, there is a need for technologies that allow remote or automated inspection of the so-called splash zone. Systems based on long range ultrasonic guided waves (GW) are an interesting option, especially if permanently-attached sensors are used to monitor the region continually. Operation with conventional piezoelectric sensors usually requires removal of the external coatings which are usually present, and this can lead to additional corrosion problems. In this work a GW system based on electromagnetic acoustic transducers was developed and tested on pipes covered with a 3 mm thick polyethylene coating. Initial studies of the transducer configuration were performed using finite-element analysis and then validated experimentally. A prototype sensor array was manufactured and then used for inspection of machined defects, initially in dry conditions in the laboratory and later in a full-scale test in an 15m depth water tank. In these given lift-off conditions, the system was capable of detecting defects corresponding to a 2.5% cross section area loss at a distance of 8m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periodic permanent magnet (PPM) array electromagnetic acoustic transducers (EMATs) can efficiently generate and receive shear horizontal (SH) ultrasonic waves. Conventional PPM EMATs typically generate waves which simultaneously propagate both forward and backward. This can complicate the received signals and make it difficult to locate the position of scatterers. Unidirectional generation of ultrasounds can be achieved if two ultrasonic sources are separated by a predefined distance and are excited with the proper delay. Relying on this principle, EMATs have been previously designed aiming to generate other modes of ultrasonic waves. The main challenge when extending this conception to an SH-wave EMAT is how to restrict each coil to its specific magnet array. We present the concept of a unidirectional SH EMAT consisting of two racetrack coils and two interlaced PPM arrays, that are slightly shifted sideways, in such a way that the generated wavefronts still properly interfere. The design was fabricated and experimentally evaluated in an aluminum plate generating the SH0 guided wave mode. The forward to backward generated wave ratio is above 20 dB and well agrees with finite element simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multifunctional sensor network has become a research focus in the field of structural health monitoring. To improve the reliability and stability of the diagnosis results, it is necessary to fuse heterogeneous signals under the interference of the external load and damage. In this paper, a piezoelectric-fiber hybrid sensor network is integrated to monitor the crack growth around the hole in the aviation aluminum plate. The effect of the load change on the signals of piezoelectric transducers (PZTs) and optical fiber sensors is analyzed. To improve the damage diagnosis result obtained by ultrasonic guided wave imaging diagnosis based on PZTs and strain damage identification based on distributed optical fiber sensor, a fusion strategy of heterogeneous signals based on a two-stage Kalman filtering algorithm is proposed. In the first stage, the features extracted from two types of sensors are fused at a specific time at the feature level, and then the location of the damage center is predicted. Then, the second fusion is to fuse the predicted damage location results at multiple specific times at the decision level. Crack growth monitoring experiments in hot spots of metallic material under bending moment loading is carried out to verify the feasibility of the proposed fusion method. The experimental results indicate that the fusion damage diagnosis results are more stable, moreover, the accuracy of damage location and quantification is improved than the single signal diagnosis results.

Laminate structures composed of stiff plates and thin soft interlayers are widely used in aerospace, automotive and civil engineering encouraging the development of reliable non-destructive strategies for their condition assessment. In the paper, elastodynamic behaviour of such laminate structures is investigated with emphasis on its application in ultrasonic based NDT and SHM for the identification of interlayer mechanical and interfacial contact properties. A particular attention is given to the practically important frequency range, in which the wavelength considerably exceeds the thickness of the film. Three layer model with spring-type boundary conditions employed for imperfect contact simulation is used for numerical investigation. Novel effective boundary conditions are derived via asymptotic expansion technique and used for analysis of the peculiar properties of elastic guided waves in considered laminates. It is revealed that the thin and soft film influences the behaviour of the laminate mainly via the effective stiffnesses being a combination of the elastic moduli of the film, its thickness and interface stiffnesses. To evaluate each of these parameters separately (or to figure out that the available experimental data are insufficient), a step-wise procedure employing the effective boundary conditions is proposed and tested versus the laser Doppler vibrometry data for Lamb waves in Aluminium/Polymer film/Alumunium structure. A good agreement between theoretical and experimental data is demonstrated for a certain symmetric laminate specimen. The possibility of using film-related thickness resonance frequencies to estimate the film properties and contact quality is also demonstrated. Additionally, the rich family of edge waves is also investigated, and the splitting of fundamental edge waves into pairs is revealed.

Fibre-reinforced composite laminates are frequently used in various engineering structures, due to their increased weight-to-stiffness ratio, which allows to fulfil certain regulations of CO2 emissions. Limited inter-laminar strength makes composites prone to formation of various defects, which leads to progressive degradation of residual strength and fatigue life of the structure. Using ultrasonic guided waves is a common technique for assessing the structural integrity of composite laminates. Phase velocity is one of the fundamental characteristics of guided waves and can be used for defect detection, material property estimation, and evaluation of dispersion. In this paper, a phase velocity reconstruction approach, based on the phase-shift method, was proposed, which uses frequency sweep excitation to estimate velocity at specific frequency harmonics. In contrast to the conventional phase spectrum technique, the proposed approach is applicable to the narrowband piezoelectric transducers and suitable for the reconstruction of dispersion curves for direct, converted, and multiple co-existing modes with high accuracy. The proposed technique was validated with finite element simulations and experiments, both on isotropic and anisotropic structures, analysing the direct, converted, and overlapped modes. The results demonstrated that, using the proposed technique, the phase velocity dispersion can be reconstructed at −20 dB level bandwidth of the transducer, with a relative error of ±4%, compared to the theoretical velocity predictions.

The estimation of Direction of Arrival (DoA) of guided ultrasonic waves is an important task in many Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) applications. The aim is to locate sources of elastic waves which can be generated by impacts or defects in the inspected structures. In this paper, the array geometry and the shape of the piezo-sensors are designed to optimize the DoA estimation on a pre-defined angular sector, from acquisitions affected by noise and interference. In the proposed approach, the DoA of a wave generated by a single source is considered as a random variable that is uniformly distributed in a given range. The wave velocity is assumed to be unknown and the DoA estimation is performed by measuring the Differences in Time of Arrival (DToAs) of wavefronts impinging on the sensors. The optimization procedure of sensors positioning is based on the computation of the DoA and wave velocity parameters Cramér-Rao Matrix Bound (CRMB) with a Bayesian approach. An efficient DoA estimator is found based on the DToAs Gauss-Markov estimator for a three sensors array. Moreover, a novel directive sensor for guided waves is introduced to cancel out undesired Acoustic Sources impinging from DoAs out of the given angles range. Numerical results show the capability to filter directional interference of the novel sensor and a considerably improved DoA estimation performance provided by the optimized sensor cluster in the pre-defined angular sector, as compared to conventional approaches.

The sections of pipe bends are hot spots for wall thinning due to accelerated corrosion by fluid flow. Conventionally, the thickness of a bend wall is evaluated by local point-by-point ultrasonic measurement, which is slow and costly. Guided wave tomography is an attractive method that enables the monitoring of a whole bend area by processing the waves excited and received by transducer arrays. The main challenge associated with the tomography of the bend is the development of an appropriate forward model, which should simply and efficiently handle the wave propagation in a complex bend model. In this study, we developed a two-dimensional (2D) acoustic forward model to replace the complex three-dimensional (3D) bend domain with a rectangular domain that is made artificially anisotropic by using Thomsen parameters. Thomsen parameters allow the consideration of the directional dependence of the velocity of the wave in the model. Good agreement was found between predictions and experiments performed on a 220 mm diameter (d) pipe with 1.5d bend radius, including the wave-field focusing effect and the steering effect of scattered wave-fields from defects.

A novel phase-shifted Bragg grating (PSBG) for Bloch surface waves (BSWs) propagating along the interface between a semiconductor thin layer and a multilayer stack is proposed. This structure is composed of a set of a special ridge fabricated on a multilayer stack supporting a Bloch surface wave. The multilayer stack is periodic, with the unit cell composed of two layers with different materials and thicknesses. The light confinement capability and transmission properties of the proposed structure are investigated in the wavelength range of 1450-1650 nm by using the finite-element method and finite-difference time-domain method. Compared to existing PSBG structures based on surface plasmon polaritons waves, the proposed configuration does not include any metal and the absorption losses upon propagation of the surface wave are negligibly small. Simulation results also indicate that the proposed structure exhibits outstanding transmission properties. The proposed PSBG for BSWs could be applied in narrow bandpass filtering, all optical computing, and enable on-chip integration photonic circuits.

Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) have rapidly emerged as a promising tool to solve damage identification and localization problem, according to a Structural Health Monitoring approach. Finite Element (FE) Analysis can be extremely helpful, especially for reducing the laborious experimental campaign costs for the ANN development and training phases. The aim of the present work is to propose a guided wave-based ANN, developed through the use of the Finite Element Method, to determine the position of damages. The paper first addresses the development and assessment of the modeling technique. The FE model accuracy was proven through the comparison of the predicted results with experimental and analytical data. Then, the ANN was developed and trained on an aluminum plate and subsequently verified in a composite plate, as well as under different damage configurations. According to the results herein proposed, the ANN allowed to detect and localize damages with a high level of accuracy in all cases of study.

The aim of this work is to propose a numerical methodology based on the finite element (FE) method to investigate the dispersive behavior of guided waves transmitted, converted, and reflected by reinforced aluminum and composite structures, highlighting their differences. The dispersion curves of such modes can help designers in improving the damage detection sensitivity of Lamb wave based structural health monitoring (SHM) systems. A preliminary phase has been carried out to assess the reliability of the modelling technique. The accuracy of the results has been demonstrated for aluminum and composite flat panels by comparing them against experimental tests and semi-analytical data, respectively. Since the good agreement, the FE method has been used to analyze the phenomena of dispersion, scattering, and mode conversion in aluminum and composite panels characterized by a structural discontinuity, as a stiffener. The research activity allowed emphasizing modes conversion at the stiffener, offering new observations with respect to state of the art. Converted modes propagate with a slightly slower speed than the incident ones. Reflected waves, instead, have been found to travel with the same velocity of the incident ones. Moreover, waves reflected in the composite stiffened plate appeared different from those that occurred in the aluminum one for the aspects herein discussed.

One of the axioms of structural health monitoring states that the severity of damage assessment can only be done in a learning mode under the supervision of an expert. Therefore, a numerical analysis was conducted to gain knowledge regarding the influence of the damage size on the propagation of elastic waves in a honeycomb sandwich composite panel. Core-skin debonding was considered as damage. For this purpose, a panel was modelled taking into account the real geometry of the honeycomb core using the time-domain spectral element method and two-dimensional elements. The presented model was compared with the homogenized model of the honeycomb core and validated in the experimental investigation. The result of the parametric study is a function of the influence of damage on the amplitude and energy of propagating waves.

Leaky interface wave generated by pulse excitation is investigated. According to different physical significance of wave solutions, appropriate solutions are selected to calculate propagation of leaky interface wave under pulse excitation. The propagation characteristics of leaky interface wave are explored through attenuation characteristic, dispersion relation and wave structure. To verify the theoretical predications, a Finite Element Method (FEM) simulation is carried out. Attenuation characteristic and wave structure are extracted from simulation results and compared with theoretical results. Additionally, an experimental verification is set up. In this experiment, the existence and excitability of leaky interface wave are verified by measuring the wave velocity and waveform analysis. Through FEM simulation and experiment, some properties of prediction from theoretical derivation are verified. The propagation characteristics of leaky interface wave provide some references for its application in nondestructive testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Accurate decision-making requires understanding the factors that influence those decisions. In guided wave structural health monitoring, the first aim is to detect the presence of damage. This decision is based on the assumption that it is possible to discriminate between undamaged and damaged states. Sensing systems collect data to construct damage statistics, that is, numerical representations of how the state of the structure has changed over time. These damage statistics are designed to be sensitive to damage signatures in the data. However, environmental and operating conditions, such as the presence of temperature variations, perturb damage statistics and weaken decision-making. Temperature compensation strategies applied to reduce these perturbations are imperfect. Qualifying the performance of a temperature compensation strategy to reduce or eliminate the effects of temperature is dependent on the resulting damage statistics. Quality temperature compensation strategies must be able to recover damage statistics and increase damage detection accuracy. This article establishes a framework for evaluating the performance of damage detection methods that use temperature compensation to reduce the effects of environmental and operating conditions. Here, the scale transform and the dynamic time warping method are examined for data with varying temperature and signal-to-noise ratios. Monte Carlo simulations are used to construct probability densities and perform statistical analysis on the resulting damage statistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guided stress waves are considered one of the most efficient and reliable techniques that provide sufficient quantitative and qualitative assessment. In this study, we focused on scrutinizing the propagation behavior of guided waves in western white pine timber poles, experimentally, and numerically using COMSOL Multiphysics. Macro fiber composites (MFCs), due to their flexibility and convenience to install on curved profiles, were used to actuate and sense guided waves along the tested specimens. Various solutions for wave mode tuning and characterization have been tested for traction free and embedded boundary conditions. The behavior of propagating wave modes was analyzed and compared in the two boundary conditions tested. Also, the excitation frequency, based on the dispersion curves generated for transversely isotropic timber, was selected to ensure the presence of favorable propagating (for instance longitudinal modes) modes with minimal dispersion. Undesirable wave modes—such as flexural modes (non-axisymmetric)—were eliminated by a ring design composed of multiple MFC actuators coupled around the pole's circumference. The remaining propagating longitudinal modes and their reflections, such as modes L(0,1) and L(0,2) propagating at nearly 1000 m/s and 800 m/s respectively, were significantly enhanced by the actuation of the ring which could be effectively used for the assessment process. The results demonstrated the complexity of the propagating modes in circular timber structures and the importance of the ring design in the excitation of the selected modes of interest and damping unwanted ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]