Acoustic viscoelastic modeling by frequency-domain boundary element method

Earth medium is not completely elastic, with its viscosity resulting in attenuation and dispersion of seismic waves. Most viscoelastic numerical simulations are based on the finite-difference and finite-element methods. Targeted at viscoelastic numerical modeling for multilayered media, the constant-Q acoustic wave equation is transformed into the corresponding wave integral representation with its Green＇s function accounting for viscoelastic coefficients. An efficient alternative for full-waveform solution to the integral equation is proposed in this article by extending conventional frequency-domain boundary element methods to viscoelastic media. The viscoelastic boundary element method enjoys a distinct characteristic of the explicit use of boundary continuity conditions of displacement and traction, leading to a semi-analytical solution with sufficient accuracy for simulating the viscoelastic effect across irregular interfaces. Numerical experiments to study the viscoelastic absorption of different Q values demonstrate the accuracy and applicability of the method.

TRANSVERSE VIBRATION CHARACTERISTICS OF VISCOELASTIC RECTANGULAR PLATE WITH CRACK

Based on the two-dimensional viscoelastic differential constitutive relation and the thin plate theory, the differential equations of motion of the viscoelastic plate with an all-over part-through crack are established and the expression of additional rotation induced by the crack is derived. The complex eigenvalue equations of the viscoelastic plate with crack are derived by the differential quadrature method, and the 8method is used at the crack continuity conditions. Dimensionless complex frequencies of a crack viscoelastic plate with four edges simply supported, two opposite edges simply supported and other two edges clamped are calculated. The effects of the crack parameter, the aspect ratio and dimensionless delay time of the material on the transverse vibration of the viscoelastic plate are analyzed.

Workflow to numerically reproduce laboratory ultrasonic datasets

The risks and uncertainties related to the storage of high-level radioactive waste （HLRW） can be reducedthanks to focused studies and investigations. HLRWs are going to be placed in deep geological repositories,enveloped in an engineered bentonite barrier, whose physical conditions are subjected tochange throughout the lifespan of the infrastructure. Seismic tomography can be employed to monitor itsphysical state and integrity. The design of the seismic monitoring system can be optimized via conductingand analyzing numerical simulations of wave propagation in representative repository geometry.However, the quality of the numerical results relies on their initial calibration. The main aim of this paperis to provide a workflow to calibrate numerical tools employing laboratory ultrasonic datasets. The finitedifference code SOFI2D was employed to model ultrasonic waves propagating through a laboratorysample. Specifically, the input velocity model was calibrated to achieve a best match between experimentaland numerical ultrasonic traces. Likely due to the imperfections of the contact surfaces, theresultant velocities of P- and S-wave propagation tend to be noticeably lower than those a prioriassigned. Then, the calibrated model was employed to estimate the attenuation in a montmorillonitesample. The obtained low quality factors （Q） suggest that pronounced inelastic behavior of the clay has tobe taken into account in geophysical modeling and analysis. Consequently, this contribution should beconsidered as a first step towards the creation of a numerical tool to evaluate wave propagation innuclear waste repositories. 2014 Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Production and hosting byElsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

On acoustic performance for viscoelastic coating containing axisymmetric cavities using the multiple scattering method

A semi-analytical/numerical model based on the multiple scattering （MS） method has been established for analyzing the effect of acoustic performance on main energy attenua- tion mechanism in viscoelastic coating containing axisymmetric cavities. The basic functions of stress and displacement of the axisymmetric cavity surface are derived in the system of spheri- cal coordinates. The transition matrix between the incident wave and the scattering wave are obtained by the numerical integral of the basic functions of the cavity surface. The reflection, transmission and absorption performance of viscoelastic materials containing periodic cavities are calculated using the MS method and the wave propagating theory of the multi-layered medium. The results indicate that low frequency energy is mainly attenuated through cavity resonance. The resonant properties are found to be very sensitive to the boundary conditions. The coupling of the double-cavity is capable of extending the absorption to even lower fre- quencies. The absorption performance of the viscoelastic coating in the high frequency range is independent of the backing material. Its energy attenuation depends mainly on acoustic properties of cavity scattering and mode conversion.