Characterization of contact condition in a flange connection by longitudinal waves

The integrity of flange joints is critical in all pipe systems. To test this integrity, an ultrasonic method characterizing the condition of the flange joint would be a vital tool. In this study, we analyzed the contact conditions on a metal/gasket/metal connection. The instantaneous frequency profile, i.e., the phase change of the wave with time for longitudinal waves transmitted in an Al alloy/gasket/Al alloy system, was evaluated under various contact pressures. The instantaneous frequency (IF) was calculated with a complex continuous wavelet transform with a modified Morlet function as a mother wavelet. The maximum IF of the waves monotonically increased with contact pressure, showing similar properties as the amplitude of the waves. A one-dimensional numerical calculation with a finite difference time domain method with a spring condition for expressing various contact conditions or contact stiffness revealed that a large phase delay of the transmission wave was generated at a low contact stiffness interface, and the amount of delay was correlated with the contact stiffness. On the other hand, the delay in the reflected wave was very small.