A defect localization method based on self-sensing and orthogonal matching pursuit.

In conventional structural health monitoring (SHM), a sensor array enables to localize a potential defect by using at least three lead zirconate titanate (PZT) patches. To reduce the vast number of patches needed for large-scaled structure, this paper presents an extremely sparse sensor array with only one single PZT patch, which could actuate and sense simultaneously. Firstly, a half-bridge circuit, referred as a self-sensing circuit is developed with a capacitor connected with the PZT patch, and the capacitance parameter and self-sensing performance are studied subsequently. Then, an orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP)-based sparse decomposition and dispersion removal algorithm is proposed to separate and reconstruct wave packets which are acutely overlapped. Subsequently, a matching strategy is proposed to determine the matching relationship between wave packets and wave paths. Finally, the ellipse-type imaging approach is employed to image the defect location. Two cases: one and two defects respectively are implemented to verify its efficacy. Experimental results illustrate that the proposed self-sensing unit and signal process method could erase the adverse effect of sensor-actuator interval and dispersion characteristic to the localization resolution and accuracy.

Adaptive signal decomposition and dispersion removal based on the matching pursuit algorithm using dispersion-based dictionary for enhancing damage imaging.

This paper aims to develop a method for high-resolution damage imaging for a sparsely distributed sensor network on a plate-like structure. Techniques for dispersion removal and signal decomposition are indispensable to accurate damage localization. By combining the dispersion-removed wave packets with the damage-imaging algorithm, a point-like damage can be precisely localized. In this article, a matching pursuit algorithm was utilized to decompose overlapping wave packets and then recompress the dispersion. The matching pursuit dictionary was constructed based on an asymptotic solution of the dispersion relation for Lamb waves in toneburst wave packets. The dispersion-based Hanning-window dictionary provided the parametric information for the extracted wave packets, such as propagation time-delay, dispersion extent, and phase. The parameters were leveraged for the dispersion-removal algorithm. Results of the simulation indicate that the proposed algorithm is capable of recompressing multiple dispersive wave packets with the different modes. Finally, the proposed approach was validated by the results of the experiment using a sparse array of piezoelectric wafers on an aluminum plate. Extracting the parameters of individual wave packets and removing the dispersion through matching pursuit, the algorithm for minimum-variance imaging produced a high-quality image with a fine spatial resolution. The image artifacts were significantly suppressed, and the accuracy was improved by 62.1% compared to conventional minimum-variance imaging.

Guided Wave-based System for Real-time Cure Monitoring of Composites using Piezoelectric Discs and Phase-shifted Fiber Bragg Gratings.

A real-time, in-process cure monitoring system employing a guided wave-based concept for carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites was developed. The system included a single piezoelectric disc that was bonded to the surface of the composite for excitation, and an embedded phase-shifted fiber Bragg grating (PS-FBG) for sensing. The PS-FBG almost simultaneously measured both quasi-static strain and the ultrasonic guided wave-based signals throughout the cure cycle. A traditional FBG was also used as a base for evaluating the high sensitivity of the PS-FBG sensor. Composite physical properties (degree of cure and glass transition temperature) were correlated to the amplitude and time of arrival of the guided wave-based measurements during the cure cycle. In addition, key state transitions (gelation and vitrification) were identified from the experimental data. The physical properties and state transitions were validated using cure process modeling software (e.g., RAVEN®). This system demonstrated the capability of using an embedded PS-FBG to sense a wide bandwidth of signals during cure. The distinct advantages of a fiber optic-based system include multiplexing of multiple gratings along a single optical fiber, small size compared to piezoelectric sensors, ability to embed or surface mount, utilization in harsh environments, electrically passive operation, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) immunity. The embedded PS-FBG fiber optic sensor can monitor the entire life-cycle of the composite structure from curing, post-cure/assembly, and in-service creating "smart structures".

Research on the Actuation Performance of 2D-Orthotropic Piezoelectric Composite Materials Linear Phased Array Transducer.

Ultrasonic linear phased array actuator for electric-acoustic conversion is the key component of the ultrasonic phased array test system. Focusing on the existing deficiency of using phased array ultrasonic testing technology into complex engineering structure, using the 2D orthotropic piezoelectric composite materials (2D-OPCM) into the research of linear phased array actuator can achieve orientable exciting. The single OPCM element and its array actuator was designed and their mechanical properties of focusing were tested by experiment. The experimental results show that 2D-OPCM ultrasound phased array actuator can achieve precise phased array focusing and deflection, which might be of great promising in the nondestructive evaluation engineering application.

Enhanced damage imaging of a metallic plate using matching pursuit algorithm with multiple wavepaths.

Waveforms received by sensors resulting from multiple wavepaths overlap and are hard to interpret. Because of this difficulty, they are usually intentionally ignored, thereby only the first arrival of wave mode being used for damage localization. This article proposes an imaging algorithm for damage localization by incorporating multiple wavepaths using piezoelectric wafers affixed on a metallic plate. Matching pursuit (MP) algorithm to enhance image quality is adopted for separating each wave packet individually. MP algorithm is an adaptive time-frequency signal decomposition technique that matches the best-fit elementary atom functions from an overcomplete dictionary. This study proposes a new dictionary composed of atom functions that constitute possible wave packets propagated by an excitation of Hann-windowed toneburst. The proposed dictionary converges faster and separates individual wave packets more accurately than typical Gaussian based dictionaries. Simulated studies first confirm the performance of MP algorithm with the proposed dictionary in comparison with those using conventional non-adaptive time-frequency analysis as well as MP with heuristic Gaussian-based dictionaries. The results of this study validate the proposed algorithm that multiple wavepaths can localize the damage with three to four piezoelectric wafers versus typical approaches employing only primary scattered waves.

Impact damage visualization in a honeycomb composite panel through laser inspection using zero-lag cross-correlation imaging condition.

A fully non-contact laser-based nondestructive inspection (NDI) system is developed to detect and visualize damage in structures. The study focuses on the size quantification and characterization of a barely visible impact damage (BVID) in a honeycomb composite panel. The hardware consists of a Q-switched Nd:YAG pulse laser that probes the panel by generating broadband guided waves via thermo-elastic expansion. The laser, in combination with a set of galvano-mirrors is used to raster scan over a two-dimensional surface covering the damaged region of an impacted quasi-isotropic [60/0/-60]s honeycomb composite panel. The out-of-plane velocities are measured at a fixed location normal to the surface by a laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV). An ultrasonic full wavefield assembled from the three-dimensional space-time data matrix in the interrogated area is first acquired and then processed for imaging the impacted damage area. A wavenumber filtering technique in terms of wave vectors is applied to distinguish the forward and backward wavefields in the wavenumber-frequency domain. A zero-lag cross correlation (ZLCC) imaging condition is then employed in the space-frequency domain for damage imaging. The ZLCC imaging condition consists of cross correlating the incident and reflected wavefields in the entire scanned region. The condition not only images the damage boundary between incident and reflected waves outside the damage region but also, for longer time windows, enables to capture the momentary standing waves formed within the damaged region. The ZLCC imaging condition imaged two delaminated region: a main delamination, which was a skewed elliptic with major and minor axis lengths roughly 17 mm and 10 mm respectively, and a secondary delamination region approximately 6 mm by 4 mm, however, which can only be shown at higher frequency range around 80-95 kHz. To conclude, the ZLCC results were in very good agreement with ultrasonic C-scan and X-ray computed tomographic (X-ray CT) scan results. Since the imaging condition is performed in the space-frequency domain, the imaging from ZLCC can also reveal resonance modes which are shown in the main delaminated area by windowing a narrow frequency band sequentially.

A semi-analytical approach for SH guided wave mode conversion from evanescent into propagating.

Conversion of evanescent shear horizontal (SH) guided waves into propagating is presented in this paper. The conversion is exemplified by a time-harmonic SH evanescent displacement prescribed on a narrow aperture at an edge of a semi-infinite isotropic plate. The conversion efficiency in terms of the amplitude of the propagating SH mode converted from evanescent can be expressed in a very simple compact form. The magnitude of the conversion efficiency can be quantified through a derived semi-analytical form based on the complex reciprocity theorem in conjunction with a two-dimensional (2-D) finite element analysis (FEA). Through power conversion analysis, it can be shown that the power flow generated into the plate due to evanescent incident is complex valued. It is theoretically proved that the real part of the complex power flow is associated with the propagating SH modes, while the imaginary part is confined due to the evanescent modes at the plate edge. The conversion efficiency and converted modes are dependent on the geometric configuration of the aperture as well as the selection of the excitation frequency.

Automated In-Process Cure Monitoring of Composite Laminates Using a Guided Wave-Based System With High-Temperature Piezoelectric Transducers.

An in-process cure monitoring technique based on "guided wave" concept for carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites was developed. Key parameters including physical properties (viscosity and degree of cure) and state transitions (gelation and vitrification) during the cure cycle were clearly identified experimentally from the amplitude and group velocity of guided waves, validated via the semi-empirical cure process modeling software RAVEN. Using the newly developed cure monitoring system, an array of high-temperature piezoelectric transducers acting as an actuator and sensors were employed to excite and sense guided wave signals, in terms of voltage, through unidirectional composite panels fabricated from Hexcel® IM7/8552 prepreg during cure in an oven. Average normalized peak voltage, which pertains to the wave amplitude, was selected as a metric to describe the guided waves phenomena throughout the entire cure cycle. During the transition from rubbery to glassy state, the group velocity of the guided waves was investigated for connection with degree of cure, Tg, and mechanical properties. This work demonstrated the feasibility of in-process cure monitoring and continued progress toward a closed-loop process control to maximize composite part quality and consistency.

Guided torsional wave generation of a linear in-plane shear piezoelectric array in metallic pipes.

Cylindrical guided waves based techniques are effective and promising tools for damage detection in long pipes. The essential operations are generation and reception of guided waves in the structures utilizing transducers. A novel in-plane shear (d36 type) PMNT wafer is proposed to generate and receive the guided wave, especially the torsional waves, in metallic pipes. In contrast to the traditional wafer, this wafer will directly introduce in-plane shear deformation when electrical field is conveniently applied through its thickness direction. A single square d36 PMNT wafer is bonded on the surface of the pipe positioned collinearly with its axis, when actuated can predominantly generate torsional (T) waves along the axial direction, circumferential shear horizontal (C-SH) waves along circumferential direction, and other complex cylindrical Lamb-like wave modes along other helical directions simultaneously. While a linear array of finite square size d36 PMNT wafers was equally spaced circumferentially, when actuated simultaneously can nearly uniform axisymmetric torsional waves generate in pipes and non-symmetric wave modes can be suppressed greatly if the number of the d36 PMNT wafer is sufficiently large. This paper first presents the working mechanism of the linear d36 PMNT array from finite element analysis (FEA) by examining the constructive and destructive displacement wavefield phenomena in metallic pipes. Furthermore, since the amplitude of the received fundamental torsional wave signal strongly depends on frequency, a series of experiments are conducted to determine the frequency tuning curve for the torsional wave mode. All results indicate the linear d36 PMNT array has potential for efficiently generating uniform torsional wavefield of the fundamental torsional wave mode, which is more effective in monitoring structural health in metallic pipes.

Conversion of evanescent Lamb waves into propagating waves via a narrow aperture edge.

This paper presents a quantitative study of conversion of evanescent Lamb waves into propagating in isotropic plates. The conversion is substantiated by prescribing time-harmonic Lamb displacements/tractions through a narrow aperture at an edge of a semi-infinite plate. Complex-valued dispersion and group velocity curves are employed to characterize the conversion process. The amplitude coefficient of the propagating Lamb modes converted from evanescent is quantified based on the complex reciprocity theorem via a finite element analysis. The power flow generated into the plate can be separated into radiative and reactive parts made on the basis of propagating and evanescent Lamb waves, where propagating Lamb waves are theoretically proved to radiate pure real power flow, and evanescent Lamb waves carry reactive pure imaginary power flow. The propagating power conversion efficiency is then defined to quantitatively describe the conversion. The conversion efficiency is strongly frequency dependent and can be significant. With the converted propagating waves from evanescent, sensors at far-field can recapture some localized damage information that is generally possessed in evanescent waves and may have potential application in structural health monitoring.

Fundamental understanding of wave generation and reception using d(36) type piezoelectric transducers.

A new piezoelectric wafer made from a PMN-PT single crystal with dominant piezoelectric coefficient d36 is proposed to generate and detect guided waves on isotropic plates. The in-plane shear coupled with electric field arising from the piezoelectric coefficient is not usually present for conventional piezoelectric wafers, such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT). The direct piezoelectric effect of coefficient d36 indicates that under external in-plane shear stress the charge is induced on a face perpendicular to the poled z-direction. On thin plates, this type of piezoelectric wafer will generate shear horizontal (SH) waves in two orthogonal wave propagation directions as well as two Lamb wave modes in other wave propagation directions. Finite element analyses are employed to explore the wave disturbance in terms of time-varying displacements excited by the d36 wafer in different directions of wave propagation to understand all the guided wave modes accurately. Experiments are conducted to examine the voltage responses received by this type of wafer, and also investigate results of tuning frequency and effects of d31 piezoelectric coefficient, which is intentionally ignored in the finite element analysis. All results demonstrate the main features and utility of proposed d36 piezoelectric wafer for guided wave generation and detection in structural health monitoring.

Carbon nanotube yarn strain sensors.

Carbon nanotube (CNT) based sensors are often fabricated by dispersing CNTs into different types of polymer. In this paper, a prototype carbon nanotube (CNT) yarn strain sensor with excellent repeatability and stability for in situ structural health monitoring was developed. The CNT yarn was spun directly from CNT arrays, and its electrical resistance increased linearly with tensile strain, making it an ideal strain sensor. It showed consistent piezoresistive behavior under repetitive straining and unloading, and good resistance stability at temperatures ranging from 77 to 373 K. The sensors can be easily embedded into composite structures with minimal invasiveness and weight penalty. We have also demonstrated their ability to monitor crack initiation and propagation.