The medium coupling effect on propagation of guided waves in engineering structures and human bone phantoms

Chen, Jiangang,Su, Zhongqing,Cheng, Li Techno-Press 2012 Coupled systems mechanics Vol.1 No.4

As a result of the medium coupling, propagation characteristics of ultrasonic waves guided by a multi-phase medium can be different from those in a homogeneous system. This phenomenon becomes prominent for a medium consisting of phases with considerably distinct material and physical properties (e.g., submerged structures or human bones covered with soft tissues). In this study, the coupling effect arising from both fluid and soft tissues on wave propagation in engineering structures and human bone phantoms, respectively, was explored and calibrated quantitatively, with a purpose of enhancing the precision of ultrasonic-wave-based non-destructive evaluation (NDE) and clinical quantitative ultrasound (QUS). Calibration results were used to rectify conventional NDE during evaluation of corrosion in a submerged aluminium plate, and QUS during prediction of simulated healing status of a mimicked bone fracture. The results demonstrated that with the coupling effect being appropriately taken into account, the precision of NDE and QUS could be improved.

Exploring and calibrating local curvature effect of cortical bone for quantitative ultrasound (QUS)

Chen, Jiangang,Su, Zhongqing,Cheng, Li,Ta, De-An Techno-Press 2013 Structural Engineering and Mechanics, An Int'l Jou Vol.48 No.4

Apart from thinning of cortical layers, the local bone curvature, varying along bone periphery, modulates ultrasound waves as well, which is however often underestimated or overlooked in clinical quantitative ultrasound (QUS). A dedicated three-dimensional finite element modelling technique for cortical bones was established, for quantitatively exploring and calibrating the effect of local curvature of cortical bone on ultrasound. Using a correlation-based mode extraction technique, high-velocity group (HVG) and low-velocity group (LVG) wave modes in a human radius were examined. Experimental verification using acrylic cylinders and in vitro testing using a porcine femur were accomplished. Results coherently unravelled the cortical curvature exerts evident influence on bone-guided ultrasound when RoC/${\lambda}$ <1 for HVG mode and RoC/${\lambda}$ <2 for LVG mode (RoC/${\lambda}$: the ratio of local bone curvature radius to wavelength); the sensitivity of LVG mode to bone curvature is higher than HVG mode. It has also been demonstrated the local group velocity of an HVG or LVG mode at a particular skeletal site is equivalent to the velocity when propagating in a uniform cylinder having an outer radius identical to the radius of curvature at that site. This study provides a rule of thumb to compensate for the effect of bone curvature in QUS.

Exploring and calibrating local curvature effect of cortical bone for quantitative ultrasound (QUS)

Jiangang Chen,Zhongqing Su,Li Cheng,De-an Ta 국제구조공학회 2013 Structural Engineering and Mechanics, An Int'l Jou Vol.48 No.4

Apart from thinning of cortical layers, the local bone curvature, varying along bone periphery,modulates ultrasound waves as well, which is however often underestimated or overlooked in clinical quantitative ultrasound (QUS). A dedicated three-dimensional finite element modelling technique for cortical bones was established, for quantitatively exploring and calibrating the effect of local curvature of cortical bone on ultrasound. Using a correlation-based mode extraction technique, high-velocity group (HVG) and low-velocity group (LVG) wave modes in a human radius were examined. Experimental verification using acrylic cylinders and in vitro testing using a porcine femur were accomplished. Results coherently unravelled the cortical curvature exerts evident influence on bone-guided ultrasound when RoC/λ<1 for HVG mode and RoC/λ<2 for LVG mode (RoC/λ: the ratio of local bone curvature radius to wavelength); the sensitivity of LVG mode to bone curvature is higher than HVG mode. It has also been demonstrated the local group velocity of an HVG or LVG mode at a particular skeletal site is equivalent to the velocity when propagating in a uniform cylinder having an outer radius identical to the radius of curvature at that site. This study provides a rule of thumb to compensate for the effect of bone curvature in QUS.

Structural health monitoring of high-speed railway tracks using diffuse ultrasonic wave-based condition contrast: theory and validation

Kai Wang,Wuxiong Cao,Zhongqing Su,Pengxiang Wang,Xiongjie Zhang,Lijun Chen,Ruiqi Guan,Ye Lu 국제구조공학회 2020 Smart Structures and Systems, An International Jou Vol.26 No.2

Despite proven effectiveness and accuracy in laboratories, the existing damage assessment based on guided ultrasonic waves (GUWs) or acoustic emission (AE) confronts challenges when extended to real-world structural health monitoring (SHM) for railway tracks. Central to the concerns are the extremely complex signal appearance due to highly dispersive and multimodal wave features, restriction on transducer installations, and severe contaminations of ambient noise. It remains a critical yet unsolved problem along with recent attempts to implement SHM in bourgeoning high-speed railway (HSR). By leveraging authors' continued endeavours, an SHM framework, based on actively generated diffuse ultrasonic waves (DUWs) and a benchmark-free condition contrast algorithm, has been developed and deployed via an all-in-one SHM system. Miniaturized lead zirconate titanate (PZT) wafers are utilized to generate and acquire DUWs in long-range railway tracks. Fatigue cracks in the tracks show unique contact behaviours under different conditions of external loads and further disturb DUW propagation. By contrast DUW propagation traits, fatigue cracks in railway tracks can be characterised quantitatively and the holistic health status of the tracks can be evaluated in a real-time manner. Compared with GUW- or AE-based methods, the DUW-driven inspection philosophy exhibits immunity to ambient noise and measurement uncertainty, less dependence on baseline signals, use of significantly reduced number of transducers, and high robustness in atrocious engineering conditions. Conformance tests are performed on HSR tracks, in which the evolution of fatigue damage is monitored continuously and quantitatively, demonstrating effectiveness, adaptability, reliability and robustness of DUW-driven SHM towards HSR applications.

On time reversal-based signal enhancement for active lamb wave-based damage identification

Qiang Wang,Shenfang Yuan,Ming Hong,Zhongqing Su 국제구조공학회 2015 Smart Structures and Systems, An International Jou Vol.15 No.6

Lamb waves have been a promising candidate for quantitative damage identification for various engineering structures, taking advantage of their superb capabilities of traveling for long distances with fast propagation and low attenuation. However, the application of Lamb waves in damage identification so far has been hampered by the fact that the characteristic signals associated with defects are generally weaker compared with those arising from boundary reflections, mode conversions and environmental noises, making it a tough task to achieve satisfactory damage identification from the time series. With awareness of this challenge, this paper proposes a time reversal-based technique to enhance the strength of damage-scattered signals, which has been previously applied to bulk wave-based damage detection successfully. The investigation includes (i) an analysis of Lamb wave propagation in a plate, generated by PZT patches mounted on the structure; (ii) an introduction of the time reversal theory dedicated for waveform reconstruction with a narrow-band input; (iii) a process of enhancing damage-scattered signals based on time reversal focalization; and (iv) the experimental investigation of the proposed approach to enhance the damage identification on a composite plate. The results have demonstrated that signals scattered by delamination in the composite plate can be enhanced remarkably with the assistance of the proposed process, benefiting from which the damage in the plate is identified with ease and high precision.