PZT-Based Ultrasonic Guided Wave Frequency Dispersion Characteristics of Tubular Structures for Different Interfacial...

Area of Science:

• Structural Health Monitoring
• Non-Destructive Testing
• Wave Propagation Physics

Background:

• Ultrasonic guided waves (UGWs) are widely used for damage detection in tubular structures.
• UGW propagation is significantly influenced by interfacial boundary conditions, such as internal gas, liquid, or solid materials.
• Existing methods often oversimplify pipelines as hollow tubes, neglecting these crucial interface effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel method for characterizing UGW propagation in tubular structures with varying internal interfaces.
• To establish a theoretical foundation for improved UGW-based damage detection in pipelines.
• To investigate the impact of different internal materials on UGW dispersion characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Developed dispersion equations based on Navier's equation of motion, incorporating interfacial boundary and coordinate conditions.
• Established and numerically solved transcendental dispersion equations for hollow, liquid-filled, and concrete-filled steel tubes.
• Conducted experimental validation using lead zirconate titanate (PZT) transducers on model structures filled with air, water, and concrete.

Main Results:

• UGW propagation exhibits dispersion and multi-modal characteristics influenced by frequency-thickness product.
• Internal material parameters and interfacial boundary conditions critically affect UGW behavior.
• Theoretical, numerical, and experimental results demonstrated good agreement.

Conclusions:

• The proposed method accurately describes UGW propagation across different interfacial conditions.
• Accounting for internal materials and boundary conditions is essential for reliable UGW-based structural health monitoring of tubular components.
• This research provides a basis for more sophisticated damage detection algorithms in pipelines.