Numerical model of nonlinear elastic bulk wave propagation in solids for non-destructive evaluation

Nonlinear ultrasonic techniques can be difficult and non-intuitive to understand due to the range of wave mixing combinations available between similar or different wave modes. To overcome this, a numerical model that uses a Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) scheme, without a staggered grid system, to solve the nonlinear elastic bulk wave equations in two dimensions is proposed in this paper, with the purpose of better understanding nonlinear ultrasonic techniques. Both material and geometrical nonlinearities are considered and a stress-type boundary condition is used to model the excitation. The energy transfer between frequency bands is shown and the amplitude trend of the harmonics are validated against available theories. It is then used to simulate the nonlinear ultrasonic field generated by a finite-size element of an array in a solid to better understand its behaviour. An array-element directivity at the second harmonic frequency is shown. Since the FDTD model does not account for attenuation, a correction using a ray-based approach is applied to the simulated result for direct comparison against experimental measurements. The field obtained from a typical array used in non-destructive testing is then simulated to characterise its behaviour. Experimental comparison of the nonlinear displacement fields for different focal positions showed good agreement, further validating the FDTD model. This FDTD model opens opportunities to virtually experiment and design appropriate nonlinear ultrasonic array inspections whilst isolating and understanding contribution from material nonlinearity.