The group velocity variation of Lamb wave in fiber reinforced composite plate

Experimentally measured Lamb wave group velocities in composite materials with anisotropic characteristics are not the same as the theoretical group velocities which is calculated with the Lamb wave dispersion equation. This discrepancy arises from the fact that the angle between the group velocity direction and the phase velocity direction in anisotropic materials exists. Wave propagation in a composite material with anisotropic characteristics should be considered with respect to magnitude correction in addition to direction correction. In this study, S0 mode phase velocity dispersion curves are depicted with the variation of degree with respect to the fiber direction using a Lamb wave dispersion relation in the unidirectional, bidirectional, and quasi-isotropic composite plates. Slowness surface is sketched by the reciprocal value of the phase velocity curves. The magnitude and direction of the group velocity could be calculated from the slowness surface. The recalculated group velocities with consideration of the magnitude and direction from the slowness surface are compared with experimentally measured group velocities. The proposed method shows good agreements with theoretical and experimental results.