Acoustic Source Localization in Composite Plates using sideband peak count - Index Technique.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Acoustics
• Non-linear Ultrasonics

Background:

• Acoustic source localization (ASL) is crucial for structural health monitoring.
• Traditional ASL methods often rely on signal attenuation or time-of-arrival data, which can be unreliable.
• Composite materials exhibit non-linear acoustic behavior that can be exploited for localization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel ASL technique for orthotropic composite plates.
• To utilize the Non-Linear Ultrasonic Sideband Peak Count-Index (SPC-I) for localization.
• To eliminate the need for signal attenuation information and prior knowledge of material properties.

Main Methods:

• A network of 25 scattered sensors was used to record acoustic signals from a source.
• The Non-Linear Ultrasonic Sideband Peak Count-Index (SPC-I) was derived from the recorded signals.
• An optimization algorithm processed SPC-I values to predict the acoustic source location.

Main Results:

• The proposed SPC-I based ASL technique demonstrated feasibility.
• Localization accuracy is achieved by exploiting the increasing signal distortion with propagation distance in non-linear composite materials.
• Experimental verification on a Carbon Fiber Reinforced (CFR) composite plate confirmed the technique's effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• The SPC-I technique offers a robust method for acoustic source localization in composite plates.
• This approach simplifies ASL by removing dependencies on signal attenuation and material properties.
• The method holds promise for advanced structural health monitoring applications.