Detection of internal crack growth in polyethylene pipe using guided wave ultrasonic testing

Despite the success of guided wave ultrasonic inspection for internal defect detection in steel pipes,its application on polyethylene(PE)pipe remains relatively unexplored.The growth of internal cracks in PE pipe severely affects its pressure-holding capacity,hence the early detection of internal cracks is crucial for effective pipeline maintenance strategies.This study extends the scope of guided wave-based ultrasonic testing to detect the growth of internal cracks in a natural gas distribution PE pipe.Laboratory experiments and a finite element model were planned to study the wave-crack interaction at different stages of axially oriented internal crack growth with a piezoceramic transducer-based setup arranged in a pitch-catch configuration.Mode dispersion analysis supplemented with preliminary experiments was performed to isolate the optimal inspection frequency,leading to the selection of the T(0,1)mode at 50-kHz for the investigation.A transmission index based on the energy of the T(0,1)mode was developed to trace the extent of simulated crack growth.The findings revealed an inverse linear correlation between the transmission index and the crack depth for crack growth beyond 20%crack depth.

Propagation Characteristics of Ultrasonic Guided Waves in Grouted Rockbolt Systems with Bond Defects under Different Confining Conditions

A rockbolt acting in the rock mass is subjected to the combined action of the pull-out load and confining pressure, and the bond quality of the rockbolt directly affects the stability of the roadway and cavern. Therefore, in this study, confining pressure and pull-out load are applied to grouted rockbolt systems with bond defects by a numerical simulation method, and the rockbolt is detected by ultrasonic guided waves to study the propagation law of ultrasonic guided waves in defective rockbolt systems and the bond quality of rockbolts under the combined action of pull-out load and confining pressure. The numerical simulation results show that the length and location of bond defects can be detected by ultrasonic guided waves under the combined action of pull-out load and confining pressure. Under no pull-out load, with increasing confining pressure, the low-frequency part of the guided wave frequency in the rockbolt increases, the high-frequency part decreases, the weakening effect of the confining pressure on the guided wave propagation law increases, and the bond quality of the rockbolt increases. The existence of defects cannot change the strengthening effect of the confining pressure on the guided wave propagation law under the same pull-out load or the weakening effect of the pull-out load on the guided wave propagation law under the same confining pressure.

Study of Intelligent Approaches to Identify Impact of Environmental Temperature on Ultrasonic GWs Based SHM:A Review

Structural health monitoring(SHM)is considered an effective approach to analyze the efficient working of several mechanical components.For this purpose,ultrasonic guided waves can cover long-distance and assess large infrastructures in just a single test using a small number of transducers.However,the working of the SHM mechanism can be affected by some sources of variations(i.e.,environmental).To improve the final results of ultrasonic guided wave inspections,it is necessary to highlight and attenuate these environmental variations.The loading parameters,temperature and humidity have been recognized as the core environmental sources of variations that affect the SHM sensing mechanism.Environmental temperature has the most significant influence on SHM results.There is still a need for extensive research to develop such a damage inspection approach that should be insensitive to environmental temperature variations.In this framework,the current research study will not only illuminate the effect of environmental temperature through different intelligent approaches but also suggest the standard mechanism to attenuate it in actual ultrasonic guided wave based SHM.Hence,the work presented in this article addresses one of the open research challenges that are the identification of the effect of environmental and operating conditions in practical applications of ultrasonic guided waves and impedance-based SHM.

Temperature Dependence of Ultrasonic Longitudinal Guided Wave Propagation in Long Range Steel Strands

Ultrasonic guided wave inspection is an effective non-destructive testing method which can be used for stress level evaluation in steel strands.Unfortunately the propagation velocity of ultrasonic guided waves changes due to temperature shift making the prestress measurement of steel strands inaccurate and even sometimes impossible.In the course of solving the problem,this paper reports on quantitative research on the temperature dependence of ultrasonic longitudinal guided wave propagation in long range steel strands.In order to achieve the generation and reception of a chosen longitudinal mode in a steel strand with a helical shaped surface,a new type of magnetostrictive transducer was developed,characterized by a group of thin clips and three identical permanent magnets.Excitation and reception of ultrasonic guided waves in a steel strand were performed experimentally.Experimental results shows that in the temperature range from-4 ℃ to 34 ℃,the propagation velocity of the L（0,1） mode at 160 kHz linearly decreased with increasing temperature and its temperature dependent coefficient was 0.90（m·s-1 ·（℃）-1） which is very close to the theoretical prediction.The effect of dimension deviation between the helical and center wires and the effect of the thermal expansion of the steel strand on ultrasonic longitudinal guided wave propagation were also analyzed.It was found that these effects could be ignored compared with the change in the material mechanical properties of the steel strands due to temperature shift.It was also observed that the longitudinal guided wave mode was somewhat more sensitive to temperature changes compared with conventional ultrasonic waves theoretically.Therefore,it is considered that the temperature effect on ultrasonic longitudinal guided wave propagation in order to improve the accuracy of stress measurement in prestressed steel strands.Quantitative research on the temperature dependence of ultrasonic guided wave propagation in steel strands provides an important basis for the compensation of temperature effects in stress measurement in steel strands by using ultrasonic guided wave inspection.

High Precision Ultrasonic Guided Wave Technique for Inspection of Power Transmission Line

Due to the merits of high inspection speed and long detecting distance, Ultrasonic Guided Wave（UGW） method has been commonly applied to the on-line maintenance of power transmission line. However, the guided wave propagation in this structure is very complicated, leading to the unfavorable defect localization accuracy. Aiming at this situation, a high precision UGW technique for inspection of local surface defect in power transmission line is proposed. The technique is realized by adopting a novel segmental piezoelectric ring transducer and transducer mounting scheme, combining with the comprehensive characterization of wave propagation and circumferential defect positioning with multiple piezoelectric elements. Firstly, the propagation path of guided waves in the multi-wires of transmission line under the proposed technique condition is investigated experimentally. Next, the wave velocities are calculated by dispersion curves and experiment test respectively, and from comparing of the two results, the guided wave mode propagated in transmission line is confirmed to be F（1,1） mode. Finally, the axial and circumferential positioning of local defective wires in transmission line are both achieved, by using multiple piezoelectric elements to surround the stands and send elastic waves into every single wire. The proposed research can play a role of guiding the development of highly effective UGW method and detecting system for multi-wire transmission line.

Defects detection in typical positions of bend pipes using low-frequency ultrasonic guided wave

In order to analyze the possibility of detecting defects in bend pipe using low-frequency ultrasonic guided wave, the propagation of T(0,1) mode and L(0,2) mode through straight-curved-straight pipe sections was studied. FE(finite element) models of bend pipe without defects and those with defects were introduced to analyze energy distribution, mode transition and defect detection of ultrasonic guided wave. FE simulation results were validated by experiments of four different bend pipes with circumferential defects in different positions. It is shown that most energy of T(0,1) mode or L(0,2) mode focuses on extrados of bend but little passes through intrados of bend, and T(0,1) mode or L(0,2) mode is converted to other possible non-axisymmetric modes when propagating through the bend and the defect after bend respectively. Furthermore, L(0,2) mode is more sensitive to circumferential notch than T(0,1) mode. The results of this work are beneficial for practical testing of pipes.

Review on second-harmonic generation of ultrasonic guided waves in solid media(Ⅰ): Theoretical analyses

Considering the high sensitivity of the nonlinear ultrasonic measurement technique and great advantages of the guided wave testing method, the use of nonlinear ultrasonic guided waves provides a promising means for evaluating and characterizing the hidden and/or inaccessible damage/degradation in solid media. Increasing attention on the development of the testing method based on nonlinear ultrasonic guided waves is largely attributed to the theoretical advances of nonlinear guided waves propagation in solid media. One of the typical acoustic nonlinear responses is the generation of second harmonics that can be used to effectively evaluate damage/degradation in materials/structures. In this paper, the theoretical progress of second-harmonic generation（SHG） of ultrasonic guided wave propagation in solid media is reviewed. The advances and developments of theoretical investigations on the effect of SHG of ultrasonic guided wave propagation in different structures are addressed. Some obscure understandings and the ideas in dispute are also discussed.

Nonlinear inversion of ultrasonic guided waves for in vivo evaluation of cortical bone properties

Ultrasonic guided waves(UGWs),which propagate throughout the entire thickness of cortical bone,are attractive for the early diagnosis of osteoporosis.However,this is challenging due to the impact of soft tissue and the inherent difficulties related to multiparametric inversion of cortical bone quality factors,such as cortical thickness and bulk wave velocity.Therefore,in this research,a UGW-based multi-parameter inversion algorithm is developed to predict strength-related factors.In simulation,a free plate(cortical bone)and a bilayer plate(soft tissue and cortical bone)are used to validate the proposed method.The inversed cortical thickness(CTh),longitudinal velocity(V_(L))and transverse velocity(V_(T))are in accordance with the true values.Then four bovine cortical bone plates were used in in vitro experiments.Compared with the reference values,the relative errors for cortical thickness were 3.96%,0.83%,2.87%,and 4.25%,respectively.In the in vivo measurements,UGWs are collected from the tibias of 10 volunteers.The theoretical dispersion curves depicted by the estimated parameters(V_(T),V_(L),CTh)match well with the extracted experimental ones.In comparison with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry,our results show that the estimated transverse velocity and cortical thickness are highly sensitive to osteoporosis.Therefore,these two parameters(CTh and V_(T))of long bones have potential to be used for diagnosis of bone status in clinical applications.

Robust Damage Detection and Localization Under Complex Environmental Conditions Using Singular Value Decomposition-based Feature Extraction and One-dimensional Convolutional Neural Network

Ultrasonic guided wave is an attractive monitoring technique for large-scale structures but is vulnerable to changes in environmental and operational conditions(EOC),which are inevitable in the normal inspection of civil and mechanical structures.This paper thus presents a robust guided wave-based method for damage detection and localization under complex environmental conditions by singular value decomposition-based feature extraction and one-dimensional convolutional neural network(1D-CNN).After singular value decomposition-based feature extraction processing,a temporal robust damage index(TRDI)is extracted,and the effect of EOCs is well removed.Hence,even for the signals with a very large temperature-varying range and low signal-to-noise ratios(SNRs),the final damage detection and localization accuracy retain perfect 100%.Verifications are conducted on two different experimental datasets.The first dataset consists of guided wave signals collected from a thin aluminum plate with artificial noises,and the second is a publicly available experimental dataset of guided wave signals acquired on a composite plate with a temperature ranging from 20℃to 60℃.It is demonstrated that the proposed method can detect and localize the damage accurately and rapidly,showing great potential for application in complex and unknown EOC.

PROPAGATION CHARACTERISTICS OF HIGH ORDER LONGITUDINAL MODES IN STEEL STRANDS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS

Propagation characteristics of high order longitudinal modes of ultrasonic guided waves in seven-wire steel strands are investigated theoretically and experimentally. According to these analysis results, proper longitudinal modes are selected for defect detection in steel strands. Dispersion curves for helical and central wires in a 17.80 mm nominal diameter seven-wire steel strand are numerically obtained firstly, and propagation characteristics of high-order longitudinal modes, such as wave structures, attenuation and dispersion, are analyzed. In experiments, the signals of ultrasonic guided wave at different high frequencies are excited and received at one end of a steel strand by using the same single piezoelectric transducer. The identification of longitudinal modes in the received signals is achieved based on short time Fourier transform. Furthermore, appropriate L（0, 5） mode at 2.54 MHz is chosen for detecting an artificial defect in a helical wire of the steel strand. Results show that high order longitudinal modes in a high frequency range with low dispersion and attenuation whose energy propagates mainly in the center of the wires can be used for defect detection in long range steel strands.

DETECTION OF LONGITUDINAL DEFECT IN PIPES USING TORSIONAL MODES

The multi-modes and disperse characteristics of torsional modes in pipes are investigated theoretically and experimentally. At all frequencies, both phase velocity and group velocity of the lowest torsional mode T（0,1） are constant and equal to shear wave velocity. T（0,1） mode at all frequencies is the fastest torsional mode. In the experiments, T（0,1） mode is excited and received in pipes using 9 thickness shear vibration mode piezoelectric ceramic elements. Furthermore, an artificial longitudinal defect of a 4 m long pipe is detected using T（0,1） mode at 50 kHz. Experimental results show that it is feasible for longitudinal defect detection in pipes using T（0,1） mode of ultrasonic guided waves.

Experimental and numerical evaluation on debonding of fully grouted rockbolt under pull‑out loading

The axial loading in rockbolts changes due to stress redistribution and rheology in the country rock mass.Such a change may lead to debonding at rockbolt to grout interface or rupture of the rockbolt.In this study,based on laboratory experiments,ultrasonic guided wave propagation in fully grouted rockbolt under different pull-out loads was investigated in order to examine the resultant debonding of rockbolt.The signals obtained from the ultrasonic monitoring during the pull-out test were processed using wavelet multi-scale analysis and frequency spectrum analysis,the signal amplitude and the amplitude ratio(Q)of low frequency to high frequency were defined to quantify the debonding of rockbolt.In addition to the laboratory test,numerical simulation on the effect of the embedment lengths on ultrasonic guided wave propagation in rockbolt was conducted by using a damage-based model,and the debonding between rockbolt and cement mortar was numerically examined.It was confirmed that the ultrasonic guided wave propagation in rockbolt was very sensitive to the debonding because of pull-out load,therefore,the critical bond length could be calculated based on the propagation of guided wave in the grouted rockbolt.In time domain,the signal amplitude in rockbolt increased with pull-out load from 0 to 100 kN until the completely debonding,thus quantifying the debonding under the different pull-out loads.In the frequency domain,as the Q value increased,the debonding length of rockbolt decreased exponentially.The numerical results confirmed that the guided wave propagation in the fully grouted rockbolt was effective in detecting and quantifying the debonding of rockbolt under pull-out load.

Analysis method and experimental study of ice accumulation detection signal based on Lamb waves

A quantitative identification method for in-flight icing has the capability to significantly enhance the safety of aircraft operations.Ultrasonic guided waves have the unique advantage of detecting icing in a relatively large area,but quantitative identification of ice layers is a challenge.In this paper,a quantitative identification method of ice accumulation based on ultrasonic guided waves is proposed.Firstly,a simulation model for the wave dynamics of piezoelectric coupling in three dimensions is established to analyze the propagation characteristics of Lamb waves in a structure consisting of an aluminum plate and an ice layer.The wavelet transform method is utilized to extract the Time of Flight(ToF)or Time of Delay(ToD)of S_(0)/B_(1) mode waves,which serves as a characteristic parameter to precisely determine and assess the level of ice accumulation.Then,an experimental system is developed to evaluate the feasibility of Lamb waves-based icing real-time detection in the presence of spray conditions.Finally,a combination of the Hampel median filter and the moving average filter is developed to analyze ToF/ToD signals.Numerical simulation results reveal a positive correlation between geometric dimensions(length,width,thickness)of the ice layer and ToF/ToD of B1 mode waves,indicating their potential as indicators for quantifying ice accumulation.Experimental results of real-time icing detection indicate that ToF/ToD will reach greater peak values with the growth of the arbitrary-shaped ice layer until saturation to effectively predict the simulation results.This study lays a foundation for the practical application of quantitative icing detection via ultrasonic guided waves.

Inspection of reinforced concrete interface delamination using ultrasonic guided wave non-destructive test technique

An ultrasonic-guided wave(UGW) is a very promising tool in the field of structural health monitoring and non-destructive test.Numerical analysis was used to simulate the propagation in the rebar and explore the characteristics of UGW in the steel rebar waveguide.Two-dimensional fast Fourier transform was used to process the numerical results and to evaluate the damage.Subsequently,different UGW test influence factors were investigated.The results clearly showed that both the group velocity and the amplitude of longitudinal modes were not very sensitive to stress and temperature variations.However,the received UGW signal energy decreased with the increasing concrete strength.Finally,the interface condition between the concrete and the rebar was investigated.Time-domain and frequency-domain analyses were used to process the received signals.Different interface delamination lengths of the UGW energy attenuation were analyzed and a relationship was obtained.This study successfully proved that UGW is an effective tool in the non-destructive test of reinforced concrete interface delamination.

Detection of long bones based on Barker code excited ultrasonic guided waves

Single pulse excited ultrasonic guided wave surfers high attenuation during the propagation in long bones.This results in small amplitude and low signal-to-noise ratio（SNR）of measured signals.Thus,the Barker code excitation is introduced into long bone detection to improve the quality of received signals,due to its efficiency in increasing amplitude and SNR.Both simulation and in vitro experiment were performed,and the results were decoded by the weighted match filter（WMF） and the finite impulse response- least squares inverse filter（FIRLSIF）,respectively.The comparison between the results of Barker code excitation and sine pulse excitation was presented.For 13-bit Barker code excitation,WMF produced 13 times larger amplitude than sine pulse excitation,while FIR-LSIF achieved higher peak-sidelobe-level（PSL） of -63.59 dB and better performance in noise suppression.The results show that the Barker code excited guided waves have the potential to be applied to the long bone detection.

Ultrasonic guided wave inspection with array sensors

Ultrasonic guided wave becomes one of promising tool for monitoring various types of structures such as large steel plates, vessels, and pipes in oil, chemical or nuclear industry, because guided waves have ability to travel wide range of the target structure in a single position. However, analysis of guided wave signals acquired from structure is difficult on account of low S/N ratio and its dispersive nature. To improve S/N ratio and overcome dispersion effect, focusing techniques for guided waves are needed. Thus, in this study, focusing techniques for guided waves were developed in order to improve long range inspection ability, and performance of the developed techniques was verified by experiments.