Generation of Lamb Waves for Nondestructive Inspection of Plate Specimens
Application ID: 111351
Numerical modeling of Lamb waves, which belong to guided waves, is essential for the analysis and design of the structural health monitoring (SHM) systems for long range ultrasonic testing. The design of an SHM system based on guided waves consists of two main parts. In the first place, it is required to know the dispersion curves for the modes that can propagate in the waveguide of a certain cross section. In the second place, the propagation of a chosen mode through the waveguide and its reflection from a possible irregularity in the cross-section area (a fracture or a corrosion defect) is analyzed in the time domain.
This tutorial studies the propagation of guided waves in a steel plate with a finite width and thickness. The Mode Analysis study for the Solid Mechanics physics interface applied on the 2D cross section of the plate computes the propagating modes. This approach is also sometimes referred to as the semi-analytical finite element (SAFE) method. An angle beam wedge excites the desired mode in the plate with a flaw, which is modeled in 3D using the Elastic Wave, Time Explicit physics interface.
This model example illustrates applications of this type that would nominally be built using the following products:
however, additional products may be required to completely define and model it. Furthermore, this example may also be defined and modeled using components from the following product combinations:
- COMSOL Multiphysics® and
- either the Acoustics Module, MEMS Module, or Structural Mechanics Module
The combination of COMSOL® products required to model your application depends on several factors and may include boundary conditions, material properties, physics interfaces, and part libraries. Particular functionality may be common to several products. To determine the right combination of products for your modeling needs, review the Tabella delle Funzionalità and make use of a free evaluation license. The COMSOL Sales and Support teams are available for answering any questions you may have regarding this.