Exciting and Detecting Higher-Order Guided Lamb Wave Modes in High-Density Polyethylene Structures Using Ultrasonic...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Non-Destructive Testing
• Ultrasonics

Background:

• High-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes are widely used across industries like construction, energy, and water management.
• Higher-order guided Lamb wave (UGW) modes offer potential for defect detection in complex structures.
• Exciting and identifying specific UGW modes in materials like HDPE presents significant challenges, especially at higher frequencies where multiple modes can be excited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To successfully excite and receive various higher-order UGW modes in high-density polyethylene (HDPE) structures.
• To address the challenges in identifying specific UGW modes during excitation and reception.
• To validate the feasibility of using UGW modes for inspecting HDPE components.

Main Methods:

• Utilized ultrasonic single-element transducers and phased arrays for UGW excitation and reception.
• Employed theoretical calculation methods including the semi-analytical finite element (SAFE) method.
• Performed 2D spatial-temporal spectrum analysis and finite element modeling (FEM) for simulation.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated the efficient excitation and reception of multiple higher-order UGW modes in HDPE.
• Confirmed the capability to distinguish between different Lamb wave modes based on their phase velocities.
• Validated the findings through a combination of experimental measurements and numerical simulations.

Conclusions:

• Successfully excited and received various higher-order UGW modes in HDPE structures.
• The study confirms the potential of UGWs for non-destructive evaluation of HDPE components.
• This research provides a foundation for advanced defect detection in plastic piping systems.