embedded non-destructive evaluation for structural health

Articles

Embedded Non-destructive Evaluation for Structural Health Monitoring, Damage Detection, and Failure Prevention

Victor Giurgiutiu and Adrian Cuc

ABSTRACT—In this paper we review the state of the art in anemerging new technology: embedded ultrasonic non-destruc-tive evaluation (NDE). Embedded ultrasonic NDE permitsactive structural health monitoring, i.e. the on-demand inter-rogation of the structure to determine its current state ofstructural health. The enabling element of embedded ultra-sonic NDE is the piezoelectric wafer active sensor (PWAS).We begin by reviewing the guided wave theory in plate, tube,and shell structures, with special attention to Lamb waves.The mechanisms of Lamb wave excitation and detection withembeddable PWAS transducers is presented. It is shownanalytically and verified experimentally that Lamb wave modetuning can be achieved by the judicious combination of PWASdimensions, frequency value, and Lamb mode characteris-tics. Subsequently, we address in turn the use of pitch-catch,pulse-echo, and phased array ultrasonic methods for Lamb-wave damage detection. In each case, the conventional ultra-sonic NDE results are contrasted with embedded NDEresults. Detection of cracks, disbonds, delaminations, and dif-fuse damage in metallic and composite structures are exem-plified. Other techniques, such as the time reversal methodand the migration technique, are also presented. The paperends with conclusions and suggestions for further work.

KEYWORDS: structural health monitoring, ultrasonic, Lambwaves, piezoelectric wafer active sensors, pitch-catch, pulse-echo, phased array, electromechanical impedance, damagedetection, time reversal, migration technique, crack propaga-tion, adhesives, adhesive joints, disbonds, diagnosis, prog-nosis, mixed-mode fracture, non-destructive evaluation, non-destructive inspection

1. Introduction

Structural health monitoring (SHM) is an emergingresearch area with multiple applications. SHM assesses thestate of structural health and, through appropriate dataprocessing and interpretation, predicts the remaining life ofthe structure. Many aerospace and civil infrastructure sys-tems are at or beyond their design life; however, it is envi-sioned that they will remain in service for an extendedperiod. SHM is one of the enabling technologies that willmake this possible. Another potential SHM application is in

new systems. By embedding SHM sensors and sensory sys-tems into a new structure, the design paradigm can be changedand considerable savings in weight, size, and cost can beachieved. Not surprisingly, the SHM of aerospace structureshas recently received increased attention (Associated Press,2003; Butterworth-Hayes, 2003; Talbot, 2003; Staszewski etal., 2004)

1.1. Conventional Non-destructive Evaluation

There is a large number of non-destructive evaluation(NDE), non-destructive testing (NDT), and non-destructiveinspection (NDI) techniques for identifying local damageand detect incipient failure in critical structures. Amongthem, ultrasonic inspection is well established and has beenused in the engineering community for several decades(Krautkramer and Krautkramer, 1990).

In an infinite solid medium, elastic waves can propagatein two basic modes: pressure (P) waves and shear (S) waves.However, if the medium is bounded, wave reflections occurat the boundary and more complicated wave patterns emerge.Of particular interest are the guided waves, which remaincontained in a wave guide and can travel at large distances.Lamb waves are guided waves traveling along thin plates,while Rayleigh waves are guided waves constraint to thesurface. Guided waves can also exist in solid and hollowcylinders, as well as in shell structures. Love waves areguided waves traveling in layered materials, while Stoneleywaves are guided waves constrained to the material interface.The early study of guided waves is credited to Rayleigh(1887), Lamb (1917), Love (1926, 1944), and Stoneley(1924). A comprehensive analysis of Lamb waves has beengiven by Viktorov (1967), Achenbach (1973), Graff (1975),Rose (1999), Royer and Dieulesaint (2000), and others.

Ultrasonic NDE methods rely on elastic wave propaga-tion and reflection within the material. They try to identifythe wave field disturbances due to local damage and flaws.Ultrasonic testing involves one or more of the followingmeasurements: time of flight (TOF; wave transit or delay),path length, frequency, phase angle, amplitude, acousticimpedance, and angle of wave deflection (reflection andrefraction). Conventional ultrasonic methods include thepulse-echo, the pitch-catch (or pulse-transmission), and thepulse-resonance techniques (Blitz and Simpson, 1996). Apiezoelectric ultrasonic probe placed on the structural sur-

Victor Giurgiutiu ([email protected]) and Adrian Cuc, University of South Carolina, Department of Mechanical Engineering,Columbia, SC 29208, USA.

The Shock and Vibration Digest, Vol. 37, No. 2, March 2005 83–105©2005 Sage PublicationsDOI: 10.1177/0583102405052561

84 The Shock and Vibration Digest / March 2005

face induces ultrasonic waves in the material. Good contactbetween the transducer and the structure is obtained byusing special coupling gels. Depending on the incidence ofthe transducer with respect to the structural surface, thewaves created in the structures may be P, S, or a combina-tion of the two. P-waves are best suited for through-the-thickness detection. They are very effective in detectinganomalies along the sound path. In the pulse-echo method,defects are detected in the form of additional echoes. In thepitch-catch method, wave dispersion and attenuation due todiffused damage in the material are used as flaw indicators.

For thickness-wise inspection, the sound path traversesonly a small portion of the material volume; hence, thetransducer is mechanically moved along the surface to scanand interrogate the entire material volume. Ultrasonicinspection of thin wall structures (e.g. aircraft shells, storagetanks, large pipes, etc.) is a time-consuming operation thatrequires meticulous through-the-thickness C-scans overlarge areas. If done improperly, it can miss essential flaws.In addition, ultrasonic waves cannot be induced at rightangles to the structural surface. Localized surface flaws, andcracks with their plane perpendicular to the structural sur-face cannot be readily detected with through-the-thicknessP-wave methods. However, guided waves have shownencouraging results in detecting these types of flaws. Forthe inspection of thin-wall structures, such as sheet-metalconstructions, airframes, large containers, pipes, or tubes,an alternate inspection method utilizing guided Lamb wavesmay be more appropriate. Advanced ultrasonic techniquesrely on the generation, propagation, and detection of Rayleigh,Lamb, and Love waves. These waves can be generated usingconventional ultrasonic transducers and wedge couplers,provided the angle of the coupler is sufficiently large to trig-ger mode conversion. Alternatively, Lamb waves can begenerated by comb transducers. Guided waves are beingused to detect cracks, inclusions, and disbonds in metallicand composite structures. Lamb waves are appropriate forthin plate and shell structures, while Rayleigh waves aremore useful for the detection of surface defects.

Worlton (1957, 1961) was among the first to recognize theadvantages that Lamb and Rayleigh waves offer over P-wavesfor NDE applications. Viktorov (1967) studied the use ofRayleigh and Lamb waves for ultrasonic testing. Rose (1995)and Krautkramer (1998) reviewed the applications of porta-ble guided wave ultrasonic devices for inspecting steamgenerator tubing, aging aircraft structures and some powderinjected molded parts in manufacturing settings. Good sen-sitivity and range of detection were demonstrated. Recently,Rose (2001) has reiterated the inspection potential of ultra-sonic guided waves for thin-wall structures. Guided Lambwaves offer an improved inspection potential due to:

• variable mode structure and distributions; • multimode character;• sensitivity to different types of flaws; • propagation over long distances; • guiding character, which enables them to follow curva-

ture and reach hidden and/or buried parts.

The potential use of guided waves for monitoring metallicaircraft structures was investigated by Alleyne and Cawley(1992) and Dalton et al. (2001). Several issues were addressed:

the selection of the Lamb wave modes, the effect of skintapering, the effect of sealants and paints, the propagationacross double skin systems, and the propagation across air-craft joints. The results have shown that guided waves offergood potential for localized structural monitoring. Long-range propagation through tapered skin presents little prob-lem as long as dispersion is avoided. However, sealant layerscan create severe damping problems. The effect of structuralfasteners was not studied.

1.2. Structural Health Monitoring and Embedded Ultrasonic Non-destructive Evaluation

SHM sets out to determine the health of a structure byreading a network of sensors that are embedded (perma-nently attached) into the structure and monitored over time.SHM can be either passive or active. Passive SHM infers thestate of the structure using passive sensors that are moni-tored over time and fed into a structural model. Examples ofpassive SHM are the monitoring of loads, stress, environ-mental conditions, acoustic emission from cracks, etc. Pas-sive SHM only “listens” to the structure but does notinteract with it. Kudva et al. (1993) and Van Way et al.(1995) presented passive SHM systems utilizing an assort-ment of sensors such as acoustic emission transducers,resistance strain gages, fiber optic strain gages, filamentcrack gages, and corrosive environment sensors. Boller et al.(1999) showed that the reliability of SHM systems increaseswhen the sensors do not just “listen” but act as both actua-tors and sensors. Active SHM uses active sensors that inter-rogate the structure to detect the presence of damage, and toestimate its extent and intensity. One active SHM methodemploys piezoelectric wafer active sensors (PWAS), whichsend and receive ultrasonic Lamb waves and determine thepresence of cracks, delaminations, disbonds, and corrosion.Two approaches are being considered: (a) traveling waves;(b) standing waves. Active sensors interact with the struc-ture in much the same way that conventional NDE transduc-ers do. For this reason, active SHM can be also viewed asembedded non-destructive evaluation (e-NDE), i.e. an NDEmethod that utilizes embedded transducers that are perma-nently attached to the structure and can be interrogated ondemand. e-NDE is an emerging technology that will allowthe transition of the conventional ultrasonic NDE methodsto embedded applications in active SHM systems. Viewingactive SHM from the e-NDE point of view allows us todraw on the experience already developed in the NDE fieldand to transition it into SHM applications.

This paper sets forth to introduce the reader to the generalprinciples of e-NDE and to present some of the salientachievements in its application to active SHM. The paperstarts with a brief review of guided wave theory in plate,tube, and shell structures. Then, it introduces the PWAS,which are the essential elements of e-NDE systems. Subse-quently, the paper shows how the main NDE methods(pitch-catch and pulse-echo) are being used in e-NDE appli-cations. Furthermore, in the paper we present the concept ofembedded phased arrays, and demonstrate them with theembedded ultrasonics structural radar (EUSR). Other tech-niques such as the time reversal method and the migrationtechnique are also presented. At the end, conclusions andsuggestions for further work are presented.

Giurgiutiu and Cuc / EMBEDDED NON-DESTRUCTIVE EVALUATION 85

2. Guided Waves in Thin-wall Structures

Guided waves have the important property that theyremain confined inside the walls of a thin-wall structure, andhence can travel over large distances. In addition, guidedwaves can also travel inside curved walls. These propertiesmake them well suited for the ultrasonic inspection of air-craft, missiles, pressure vessel, oil tanks, pipelines, etc.

In flat plates, ultrasonic guided waves travel as Lambwaves and as shear horizontal (SH) waves. Lamb waves arevertically polarized, while SH waves are horizontally polar-ized. Both Lamb waves and SH waves can be symmetric orantisymmetric with respect to the plate mid-plane. A briefoutline of the main equations is presented next, followingGraff (1975). Consider a plate with stress-free upper andlower surfaces situated at y = ± d (Figure 1). The equation ofmotion for an isotropic elastic medium is given by

(1)

where λ and µ are the Lamé constants, ρ is the mass density,and u is the displacement vector. Assume that the displace-ment vector is given by

(2)

where Φ and H are the potential functions given by

(3)

Straight crested waves of circular frequency ω and wave-number ξ propagating with wave speed c = ω / ξ wereassumed. The governing equations are

(4)

Plane strain (z-invariant) conditions are assumed. Hence,equation (4) yields

(5)

where c2p = (λ + 2µ) / ρ and c2

s = µ / ρ are the pressure (lon-gitudinal) and shear (transverse) wave speeds. Solution ofequation (5) is in the form

(6)

where α2 = (ω2 /c2p) – ξ2, and β2 = (ω2 /c2

s) – ξ2. The constantsA – H are determined from the stress-free boundary condi-tions at the plate upper and lower surfaces, which yield

(7)

with c1 = (λ + 2µ) α2 + λξ2, c2 = 2iµξβ, c3 = 2iξα, c4 = ξ2 –β2, c5 = iξβ. Non-trivial solutions of the homogeneousequation (7) are obtained when the determinant of the coef-ficients matrix is zero, which yields the characteristic equa-tion. Examination of equation (7) reveals that the determinantcan be broken up into the product of four smaller determi-nants, corresponding to the coefficient pairs (A, H), (B, G),(E, D), and (C, F). The first two pairs correspond to thesymmetric and antisymmetric Lamb waves, while the lasttwo pairs correspond to symmetric and antisymmetric SH

Figure 1. (a) A plate with thickness 2d, extending infinitely in x and z directions. (b) A free body diagram of an infinitesimalarea extracted from the plate.

µ∇2u λ µ+( )∇∇ u•+ ρ u2∂t2∂

--------=

u ∇Φ ∇ H×+=

Φ f y( )ei ξx ωt–( ),=

H hx y( )i hy y( )j hz y( )k+ +( )ei ξx ωt–( ).=

∇2Φ 1cp

2----- Φ2∂

t2∂--------- ∇2H

1cs

2----- H2∂

t2∂--------- and ∇ H•,=, 0.= =

f″ ξ2f– ω2f cp2⁄–=

hx″ ξ2hx– ω2hx cs2⁄–=

hy″ ξ2hy– ω2hy cs2⁄–=

hz″ ξ2hz– ω2hz cs2⁄–=

Φ A αy B αysin+cos( )ei ξx ωt–( )=

Hx C βy D βysin+cos( )ei ξx ωt–( )=

Hy E βy F βysin+cos( )ei ξx ωt–( )=

Hz G βy H βysin+cos( )ei ξx ωt–( )=

c3 αdsin– c4 βdsin 0 0 0 0 0 0

c1 αdcos c2 βdcos 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 c1 αdsin c2 βdsin– 0 0 0 0

0 0 c3 αdcos c4 βdcos 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 c5 βdsin– β2 βdsin 0 0

0 0 0 0 β βdsin– iξ βdsin 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 β2 βdcos c5 βdcos

0 0 0 0 0 0 iξ βdcos β βdcos

A

H

B

G

E

D

C

F

0=


waves. The characteristic equations for the symmetric andantisymmetric Lamb waves are also know as the Rayleigh–Lamb equations. These implicit transcendental equationsare solved numerically to determine the permissible guided-wave solutions. For each solution of the characteristic equa-tion, one determines a specific value of the wavenumber, ξ,and hence the wave speed, c.

The variation of wave speed with frequency is shown inFigure 2(a) and (b) for Lamb waves, and in Figure 2(c) forSH waves. At lower frequency-thickness products, only twoLamb wave types exist: S0, which is a symmetrical Lambwave resembling the longitudinal waves, and A0, which isan antisymmetric Lamb wave resembling the flexuralwaves. At higher frequency-thickness values, a number ofLamb waves are present, Sn and An, where n = 0, 1, 2,…. Atvery high frequencies, the S0 and A0 Lamb waves coalesceinto the Rayleigh waves, which are confined to the plateupper and lower surfaces. The Lamb waves are highly dis-persive (wave speed varies with frequency); however, S0

waves at low frequency-thickness values show very littledispersion. The SH waves are also dispersive, with the

exception of the first mode, SH0, which does not show anydispersion at all.

For circular crested waves, a similar analysis can be con-ducted in polar coordinates. Goodman (1952) investigatedcircular crested Lamb waves, and developed solutions interms of Bessel functions J0 and J1. He showed that theRayleigh–Lamb frequency equations developed for straightcrested Lamb waves also apply to circular crested Lambwaves. For large radii, the circular crested Lamb wavesattain a uniform wavelength that correlates with that ofstraight crested Lamb waves. However, the amplitude of acircular crested Lamb wave decreases with the square rootof the radius, which confirms simple energy conservationconsiderations.

In shell structures, guided waves can propagate in a vari-ety of modes. The study of guided wave propagation incylindrical shells can be considered as a limiting case of thestudy of guided wave propagation in hollow cylinders. Asthe wall thickness of a hollow cylinder decreases withrespect to its radius, the hollow cylinder approaches the caseof a thin-wall cylindrical shell. Comprehensive analytical

Figure 2. Wave speed dispersion curves in plates: (a) symmetric Lamb waves, Sn; (b) antisymmetric Lamb waves, An; (c) SHwaves: solid lines are for symmetric SH modes (Sn), dotted lines are for antisymmetric SH modes (An) (cS is the shear wavespeed, and d is the half-thickness of the plate).


and numerical results on wave propagation in hollow circu-lar cylinders were presented by Gazis (1959). The nonlinearalgebraic equations and the corresponding numerical solu-tions of the wave speed dispersion curves were obtained.These results found important applications in the ultrasonicNDE of tubing and pipes. Silk and Bainton (1979) foundequivalences between the ultrasonic waves in hollow cylin-ders and the Lamb waves in flat plates, and used them todetect cracks in heat exchanger tubing. Rose et al. (1994)used guided waves to find cracks in nuclear steam generatortubing. Alleyne et al. (2001) used guided waves to detectcracks and corrosion in chemical plant pipework. A briefreview of the mathematical modeling and the main resultsfor guided waves in cylindrical shells are given next (Gazis,1959; Zemenek, 1972; Silk and Bainton, 1979; Rose et al.,1994). Consider a circular cylinder of inner and outer radii aand b, and thickness h. In cylindrical coordinates (r, θ, z),the potential functions are expressed as

(8)

where wave motion along the z-axis with wavenumber ξ isassumed. Substitution of equation (8) into equation (4)yields

(9)

The general solution is expressed in terms of Bessel func-tions J and Y or the modified Bessel functions I and K ofarguments and . The general solu-tion is of the form

(10)

where, for brevity, Z denotes a J or I Bessel function, and Wdenotes a Y or a K Bessel function, as appropriate. Thus, thepotentials are expressed in terms of the unknowns A, B, A1,B1, A2, B2, A3, and B3. Two of these unknowns are eliminatedusing the gage invariance property of the equivolume poten-tials. Imposing the stress-free boundary conditions at theinner and outer radii, a and b, yields a linear system of sixhomogeneous equations in six unknowns. For non-trivialsolution, the system determinant must vanish, i.e.

, i,j = 1,…,6. (11)

The coefficients cij in equation (11) have complicated alge-braic expressions that are omitted for brevity. The result is acharacteristic equation in the form:

(12)

This implicit transcendental equation is solved numericallyfor the permissible guided wave solutions. As shown byGazis (1959), three basic guided wave families exist:

• longitudinal axially symmetric modes, L(0, m), m = 1, 2, 3, …;

• torsional axially symmetric modes, T(0, m) , m = 1, 2, 3, …;

• flexural non-axially symmetric modes, F(n, m), n = 1, 2, 3, … m = 1, 2, 3, ….

Within each family, an infinite number of modes exist suchthat their phase velocities, c, for a given frequency-thicknessproduct, fd, represent permissible solutions of the implicittranscendental equation (12). The index m represents thenumber of the mode shapes across the wall of the tube. Theindex n determines the manner in which the fields generatedby the guided wave modes vary with angular coordinate θ inthe cross-section of the cylinder. For the F modes of index n,each component can be considered to vary as either sin(nθ)or cos(nθ). It is also observed that the index n = 1 representsthe mode shape of flexing the tube as a whole.

The longitudinal and torsional modes are also referred toas the axial symmetric or n = 0 modes. These axial symmet-ric modes are preferred for defect detection in long pipessince the pipe circumference is uniformly insonified. Thelongitudinal modes are easier to generate with conventionalultrasonic transducers. They are good for the location of cir-cumferential cracks. However, for the location of axialcracks and corrosion, the torsional modes, although moredifficult to generate with conventional ultrasonic transduc-ers, are recommended.

An examination of the differential equation dependenceon the ratios h / r and h / λ indicates that, for shallow shells(h / r and h / λ << 1), the longitudinal modes approach theLamb wave modes, whereas the torsional modes approachthe SH modes. In fact, it can be shown that the L(0,1) modecorresponds to the A0 Lamb mode, while the L(0,2) modecorresponds to the S0 Lamb mode, etc. The flexural modesremain a mode-type specific to tube waves and withoutequivalence in flat plate waves.

3. Piezoelectric Wafer Active Sensors

Guided waves can be excited and detected with a varietyof methods. In conventional ultrasonics, guided waves aregenerated by impinging the structural surface obliquely withan ultrasonic beam from a relatively large ultrasonic trans-ducer affixed to a wedge. Snell’s law ensures mode conver-sion at the interface; hence, a combination of pressure andshear waves are simultaneously generated into the structure.If the structure is thin-walled, guided waves are being cre-ated. Another method of creating guided waves in a struc-ture is by using a comb transducer. The comb spacing issuch that it tunes with the guided wave half-wavelength.

φ f r( ) nθ ωt ξz+( )coscos=

Hr hr r( ) nθ ωt ξz+( )sinsin=

Hθ hθ r( ) nθ ωt ξz+( )sincos=

Hz hz r( ) nθ ωt ξz+( )cossin=

∇2 ω2 cp2⁄+( )φ 0=

∇2 ω2 cs2⁄+( )Hz 0=

∇2 1 r2⁄– ω2 cs2⁄+( )Hr 2 r2⁄( ) Hθ θ∂⁄∂( )– 0=

∇2 1 r2⁄– ω2 cs2⁄+( )Hθ 2 r2⁄( ) Hr θ∂⁄∂( )+ 0.=

α1r αr= β1r βr=

f A Zn α1r( ) B Wn α1r( )⋅+⋅=

h3 A3 Zn β1r( ) B3 Wn β1r( )⋅+⋅=

h112--- hr hθ–( ) A1 Zn 1+ β1r( ) B1 Wn 1+ β1r( )⋅+⋅= =

h212--- hr hθ+( ) A2 Zn 1– β1r( ) B2 Wn 1– β1r( )⋅+⋅= =

cij 0=

Ωn a b λ µ fd c,, , , ,( ) 0.=


However, conventional Lamb wave probes (wedge andcomb transducers) are relatively too heavy and expensive tobe considered for widespread deployment on an aircraftstructure as part of an active SHM system. A typical wedgetransducer weighs 25 g, costs ~$400, and is 40 mm tall(Figure 3(a)). Conventional ultrasonic transducers are inap-propriate for active SHM applications due to their cost,weight, and size. Conventional ultrasonic transducers couldnot be embedded in large numbers into a structure withoutincurring important cost and weight penalties.

An automated SHM system embedded into the aircraftstructure is not possible using conventional ultrasonic trans-ducers. For such a system, the sensors must be as much aspossible part of the structure on which they are attached.Hence, active sensors that are different from the conven-tional ultrasonic transducers are required. New types ofLamb wave transducers must be developed; they must besmall, lightweight, unobtrusive, and low cost. They shouldbe embedded in the airframe with minimum weight penaltyand at affordable costs. In recent years, piezoelectric waferspermanently attached to the structure have been extensivelyused for the generation and detection of guided waves.These simple devices are inexpensive, lightweight, andunobtrusive (Figure 3(b)). They seem well suited for SHMapplications. They can act as both transmitters and receiversof ultrasonic waves. For lack of a better term, Giurgiutiu etal. (2000) called these embedded transducers PWAS. Typi-cal PWAS weigh around 68 mg, are 0.2 mm thick, and cost~$15 each. Giurgiutiu and Zagrai (2000) characterized thePWAS for SHM and developed quality assurance tech-niques. Lamb wave NDE techniques are being transitionedto embedded applications using PWAS technology.

3.1. Piezoelectric Wafer Active Sensors Principles

PWAS are small and lightweight. They are also relativelylow cost. PWAS can be bonded to the structure (Figure 3(b)),or inserted into the layers of a composite structure. Whenpermanently attached/embedded into the structure, PWASprovide the bidirectional energy transduction from the elec-tronics into the structure, and from the structure back intothe electronics. PWAS achieve direct transduction of elec-

tric energy into elastic energy, and vice versa. PWAS wereinitially used by Crawley and de Luis (1987), Crawley andAnderson (1990) and others for structural vibration control.The use of PWAS in active SHM has been explored experi-mentally by Chang (1995, 1998), Keilers and Chang (1995),Lakshmanan and Pines (1997), Moulin et al. (1997), Wangand Chang (1999), Dupont et al. (2000), Monier et al.(2000), Lin and Yuan (2001a,b,c), Diamanti et al. (2002),Kessler (2002), Ihn and Chang (2002), Koh et al. (2003),and others. Pitch-catch, pulse-echo, and even phased arrayshave been experimentally demonstrated (Giurgiutiu et al.,2000, 2003; Giurgiutiu and Bao, 2002). These successfulexperiments have positioned PWAS as an enabling technol-ogy for active SHM implementation.

PWAS operate on the piezoelectric principle that couplesthe electrical and mechanical variables in the material(mechanical strain, Sij, mechanical stress, Tkl, electricalfield, Ek, and electrical displacement Dj) in the form

(13)

where is the mechanical compliance of the materialmeasured at zero electric field (E = 0), is the dielectricpermittivity measured at zero mechanical stress (T = 0), anddkij represents the piezoelectric coupling effect. The directpiezoelectric effect converts the stress applied to the sensorinto electric charge. Similarly, the converse piezoelectric effectproduces strain when a voltage is applied to the sensor. Fore-NDE applications, PWAS couple their in-plane motion,electrically excited through the piezoelectric effect, with theLamb wave particle motion on the material surface (Figure 4).Lamb waves can be either quasi-axial (S0, S1, S2, …), orquasi-flexural (A0, A1, A2, …). PWAS transducers can act asboth exciters and detectors of the elastic Lamb wavestraveling in the material. PWAS can be used as both activeand passive probes and thus can address four SHM needs:

(1) active sensing of far-field damage using pulse-echo,pitch-catch, and phased-array methods;

(2) active sensing of near-field damage using the high-fre-quency impedance method;

Figure 3. (a) Conventional Lamb wave ultrasonic transducer (~25 g, ~$400, 40 mm tall). (b) PWAS (0.08 g, $15, 0.2 mm thin).

Sij sijklE Tkl dkijEk+=

Dj djklTkl εjkT Ek+=

sijklE

εjkT


(3) passive sensing of crack initiation and growth throughacoustic emission;

(4) passive sensing of damage-generating events throughlow-velocity impact detection.

This indicates that the PWAS transducers are strong candi-dates for active SHM applications.

At first sight, PWAS may seem very similar to the conven-tional ultrasonic transducers since both use the piezoelectriceffect. However, fundamental differences exist between theconventional ultrasonic transducers and the PWAS.

(1) Conventional ultrasonic transducers are weakly cou-pled with the structure through gel, water, or air. In con-trast, PWAS are strongly coupled with the structurethrough an adhesive bond.

(2) Conventional ultrasonic transducers are resonant nar-row-band devices. In contrast, PWAS are non-resonantbroad-band devices that can be tuned selectively intocertain Lamb modes.

(3) Conventional ultrasonic transducers excite and sensethe Lamb waves in the structure indirectly throughacoustic waves impinging on the structural surface andthe mode conversion. In contrast, PWAS excite andsense the Lamb waves in the structure directly throughin-plane strain coupling.

PWAS-based embedded ultrasonics bears substantially onthe experience accrued with conventional ultrasonic trans-ducers. However, major differences exist between conven-tional ultrasonics and embedded ultrasonics. Drawbacks ofthe conventional ultrasonics are the bulkiness of transducersand the need for a normal (perpendicular) interface betweenthe transducer and the test structure. The former limits theaccess of ultrasonic transducers to restricted spaces; the lat-ter influences the type of waves that can be easily generatedin the structure. In contrast, embedded ultrasonics uses PWASthat are permanently bonded to the structural surface and aresmall, thin, unobtrusive, and non-invasive. They can beplaced in very restrictive spaces, such as in built-up aero-space structures. The surface-bonded PWAS can easily pro-

duce guided waves traveling parallel to the surface and candetect damage that would escape a conventional ultrasonicmethod. In their simplest form, PWAS are just thin piezoe-lectric ceramic wafers. However, ceramics are rather brittle,vulnerable to crack damage, and non-conformable to curvedsurfaces. To address these aspects, new devices are beingdeveloped, such as the macrofiber composite (e.g. Williamset al., 2002) and active fiber composites (e.g., Janos andHagood, 1998).

3.2. Selective Lamb Wave Mode Tuning with PWAS

An important characteristic of PWAS, which distin-guishes them from conventional ultrasonic transducers, istheir capability of tuning into various guided wave modes.Moulin et al. (1997) were among the first to realize the gen-eration of Lamb waves with embedded piezoelectric disks.Using finite element modeling and experimental results,they showed the excitation of S0, S1, A0, A1, and A2 Lambwaves at up to 2.5 MHz frequencies. Lin and Yuan (2001a)studied the use of piezoceramic disks for the generation anddetection of circular-crested flexural waves in a compositeplate using the Mindlin theory. The solution was derived interms of Henkel functions. Propagation of smoothed tone-bursts was studied. The theoretical predictions comparedfavorably with experimental measurements. Liu et al. (2003)investigated the input–output characteristics of piezoelectricSHM systems for composite plates. Lee and Staszewski(2003) used finite differences and the local interaction simu-lation approach (LISA) to model the generation of Lambwaves with surface-mounted piezoceramic wafers for thedetection of structural damage. Numerical simulation com-pared favorably with experiments. Qing et al. (2003) reportedexperimental results indicating that PWAS effectiveness inexciting A0 and S0 Lamb modes varies significantly with thePWAS location across the laminate thickness.

Although a complete modeling of this interaction is notyet available, some simplified models exist that clarify theunderlying principles of Lamb wave tuning with PWAStransducers. Giurgiutiu (2003) developed a plane-strainanalysis of the PWAS–structure interaction using the space-

Figure 4. Simulation of Lamb wave motion in a 1 mm thick aluminum plate: (a) symmetric mode S0, f = 1.56 MHz; (b) antisym-metric mode A0, f = 0.788 MHz.


domain Fourier analysis. This model illustrates the princi-ples of PWAS Lamb wave mode tuning, and opens the pathfor a more comprehensive analysis. The analysis starts withtransformed equations

(14)

where and are the transformed potential functions,c2

L = (λ + 2µ) / ρ and c2T = µ / ρ are the longitudinal (pres-

sure) and transverse (shear) wave speeds, λ and µ are Laméconstants, and ρ is the mass density. The excitation isassumed in the form of time-harmonic shear stress, τa(x)e-iωt,applied by the PWAS to the structural surface over the inter-val –a < x < +a. Assuming perfect bonding between PWASand structure concentrates the shear transfer effects at thePWAS ends. Hence, the shear stress τ(x) and its Fouriertransform are given by

(15)

where δ(x) is the Dirac function. Equations (14) and (15)accept the Fourier-domain solution

(16)

where is the axial strain, is the axial displacement, and

(17)

Applying the inverse Fourier transform in the space domain,and adding the time-domain harmonic behavior yield theforward wave solution:

(18)

The integral in equation (18) is singular at the roots of DS andDA. These roots correspond to the symmetric and antisym-metric Lamb wave modes having eigenvalues,

. The integral in equation is evaluated throughthe residue theorem, using a semicircular contour consistingin the upper half of the complex ξ plane. Hence,

(19)

The summations in equation (19) cover all the symmetric and antisymmetric Lamb wave modes that exist

for a given value of ω in a given plate (Giurgiutiu, 2003). A plot of this solution in the 0–1000 kHz bandwidth is

presented in Figure 5a. The sinξa contained in equation (19)displays maxima when the PWAS length la = 2a equals anodd multiple of the half-wavelength, and minima when itequals an even multiple of the half-wavelength. Severalsuch maxima and minima exist, each associated with a cer-tain Lamb mode of its own wavelength. These minima andmaxima allow us to achieve Lamb mode tuning. We cantune into a selected Lamb mode by choosing the appropriatefrequency and PWAS geometry. Figure 5(a) illustrates thetuning of the S0 mode at 300 kHz. This occurs because, atthis frequency, the amplitude of the A0 mode goes throughzero while that of the S0 is still strong. Thus, we have tuningof the S0 mode, and rejection of the A0 mode. Figure 5(b)

Figure 5. (a) Predicted Lamb wave strain amplitude in a 1.6 mm aluminum plate under a 7 mm PWAS excitation. (b) Experi-mental verification of excitation sweet spot at 300 kHz (Giurgiutiu, 2003).

d2φdy2-------- p2φ+ 0, d2ψ

dy2--------- q2ψ+ 0= =

p2 ω2

cL2

------ ξ2, q2 ω2

cT2

------ ξ2–=–=

φ ψ

τ ξ( )

τ x( ) aτ0 x a–( ) x a+( )δ–δ[ ],=

τ ξ( ) aτ 2i ξasin–[ ]=

εx iτ

2µ------

NS

DS

------NA

DA

------+

, ux– iτ

2µ------1

ξ---

NS

DS

------NA

DA

------+

–= =

εx ux

Ns ξq ξ2 q2+( ) ph qh,coscos=

DS ξ2 q2–( )2 ph qh 4ξ2pq ph qhcossin+sincos=

NA ξq ξ2 q2+( ) ph qh,sinsin=

DA ξ2 q2–( )2 ph qh 4ξ2pq ph qh.sincos+cossin=

εx x t,( ) 12π------ i–

2π------

τNS

DS

---------τNA

DA

---------+

ei ξx ωt–( ) ξ,d∞–

∞

∫=

ux x t,( ) 12π------ i–

2π------ 1

ξ---

τNS

DS

---------τNA

DA

---------+

ei ξx ωt–( ) ξ.d∞–

∞

∫=

ξ0S ξ1

S ξ2S …,, , ,

ξ0A ξ1

A ξ2A …, , ,

εx x t,( ) iaτ0

µ-------- ξSa

NS ξS( )DS′ ξS( )------------------ei ξSx ωt–( ) ξdsin

ξS

∑–=

iaτ0

µ-------- ξAa

NA ξA( )DA′ ξA( )------------------ei ξAx ωt–( ) ξ.dsin

ξA

∑–

ξS( ) ξA( )


shows the experimental confirmation of this S0 “sweetspot”. Lamb wave mode tuning offers considerable advan-tages. It allows us to select Lamb wave modes that are mostappropriate for the particular application being considered.The tuning of the S0 mode is important for the detection ofcertain defects, such as cracks. The S0 mode is less disper-sive than the A0 mode at low fd values and produces betterwave packets. When the A0 mode is rejected, the remainingS0 mode gives loud and clear pulse-echo reflections fromthe through-the-thickness cracks (Giurgiutiu et al., 2003).

Extension of this approach to circular crested Lambwaves was studied by Raghavan and Cesnik (2004). Theequations are set in polar coordinates around a piezoelectricdisk attached to the plate surface. The appropriate space-domain integral transform is the Hankel transform

(20)

where Jn( ) is the Bessel function of order n. The solution isderived in terms of Bessel and Hankel functions.

4. Pitch-catch Embedded Ultrasonics Non-destructive Evaluation for Crack and Delamination Detection

The pitch-catch method can be used to detect structuralchanges that take place between a transmitter transducer anda receiver transducer. The detection is performed through theexamination of the guided wave amplitude, phase, disper-sion, and TOF in comparison with a “pristine” situation.Guided wave modes that are strongly influenced by smallchanges in the material stiffness and thickness (such as theA0 Lamb wave) are well suited for this method. Typicalapplications include: (a) corrosion detection in metallic struc-tures; (b) diffused damage in composites; (c) disbond detec-tion in adhesive joints; (d) delamination detection in layeredcomposites, etc. Further advancements in this direction wereachieved through acousto-ultrasonics (Duke, 1988). Thepitch-catch method can also be used to detect the presence ofcracks from the wave signal diffracted by the crack.

4.1. Disbonds and Delamination Detection with Conventional Ultrasonics

Ultrasonic testing of adhesively bonded joints usingguided waves for both aerospace and automotive applica-tions is gaining more and more attention. In the NDE ofadhesively bonded joints, of particular interest are the Lambwaves. Lamb wave methods have considerable potential forthe inspection of adherent assemblies for two reasons: theydo not require direct access to the bond region, and they aremuch more amenable to rapid scanning than are pressurewave techniques. Lamb waves can be excited in one plate ofa bonded assembly, propagated across the joint region, andreceived in the second plate of the assembly. Inspection ofthe joint then would be based on the differences between thesignals received on one side of the assembly compared tothose transmitted on the other side.

Lowe and Cawley (1994) studied the applicability ofplate wave techniques for inspection of adhesive and diffu-sion bonded joints. They found that the Lamb wave tech-niques are sensitive to the material properties and thethickness of the adhesive layer. Rose et al. (1995) used theultrasonic guided waves for NDE of adhesively bondedstructures. They developed a double spring hopping probe(DHSP) to introduce and receive Lamb waves. This methodwas used to inspect a lap splice joint of a Boeing 737-222.Preliminary results showed the method’s capability of dis-bond detection. The severe corrosion area was also pointedout using the DHSP handheld device. Chona et al. (2003)used laser-generated Lamb waves to detect disbonds anddelaminations in layered materials using a pitch-catchapproach. They showed that A0 are sensitive to damageassociated with disbonds and delaminations in a multilayermaterial. Lee et al. (2004) studied the problem of wavepropagation in a diffusion bonded model using spectral ele-ments (SEs) and a new local interaction simulation approach(LISA) for numerical modeling. The novelty of their workwas the sensor/actuator configuration consisting of five dif-ferent layers of materials with one piezoceramic elementgenerating a thickness mode vibration. The five layers were:two piezoelectric elements used for actuating and sensing(Sonox P5), two copper layers, and in the middle a couplantlayer. The experiments validated the numerical simulation,showing that the actuator/sensor configuration could oper-ate either in S0 or A0 modes using excitation frequencies of260.5 and 100 kHz, respectively. However, the couplinglayer distorts the wave propagation, due to its low imped-ance at the interface and low wave speed within the couplantmedium.

Repair patches are widely used in the aircraft industry forsmall repairs of the aircraft fuselage in order to extend theoperational life of aging aircrafts. Lamb waves can be suc-cessfully used to detect disbonds of composite repairpatches (Rose et al., 1996).

4.2. Embedded Pitch-catch Non-destructive Evaluation

The pitch-catch method detects damage from the changesin the Lamb waves traveling through a damaged region. Themethod uses the transducers in pairs: one as transmitter, theother as receiver. In the embedded pitch-catch method(Figure 6), the transducers are either permanently attachedto the structure or inserted between the layers of compositelayup. Early studies in embedded pitch-catch NDE lever-aged on surface acoustic wave (SAW) technology (SAWdevices have been extensively studied as delay lines in radarapplications). Culshaw and co-workers (Pierce et al., 1997,2000; Gachagan et al., 1999) have studied the use of piezoe-lectric transmitters and optical-fiber receivers for damagedetection in composite plates using ultrasonic Lamb waves.Conventional ultrasonic transducers, interdigital piezoelec-tric transducers, and simple PWAS were used. It wasremarked that the PWAS gave good results in spite of theirconstructive simplicity.

Interdigital polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF; a piezoe-lectric polymer) transducers were developed for the genera-tion and detection of Lamb waves in e-NDE applications(Monkhouse et al., 1996, 2000). These transducers were able

f n ξ( ) f r( )Jn ξr( )r dr,0

∞

∫=

f r( ) f n ξ( )Jn ξr( )ξ dξ,0

∞

∫=


to generate focused directional waves in metallic specimens.However, the interdigital transducers have a fixed operatingfrequency that is dictated by the interdigital spacing. Changand co-workers were among the first to identify the opportu-nity of using the piezoceramic disk wafers as both transmit-ters and receivers of Lamb waves. Keilers and Chang (1995)used an array of PWAS affixed to composite plates. Some ofthese PWAS acted as elastic wave generators, and othersacted as structural response receptors. The detection of dam-age was deduced from the differences in structural-responsemagnitude over the 0–2 kHz bandwidth. Damage detectioncriteria based on wave propagation were subsequently devel-oped (Chang, 1998, Wang and Chang, 1999; Osmond et al.,2002; Mal et al., 2003; Wang et al., 2003).

4.3. Crack Detection in Metallic Structures with Embedded Pitch-catch Non-destructive Evaluation

Cracks in metallic structures typically run perpendicularto the wall surface. A fully developed crack will cover thewhole thickness (through-the-thickness crack) and will pro-duce a tear of the metallic material. In conventional NDE,metallic-structure cracks are detected with ultrasonic or eddycurrent probes that have pointwise capabilities. Intensivemanual scanning is required for crack detection. The aim ofembedded pitch-catch NDE is to detect cracks in metallicstructures using guided waves transmitted from one locationand received at a different location. The analysis of thechange in guided wave shape, phase, and amplitude shouldyield indications about the crack presence and extension.

Ihn and Chang (2002) and Ihn (2003) presented anembedded pitch-catch method for the detection of cracks inmetallic structures using an array of 12 mm diameter pie-zoceramic disks (Figure 7). A five-count 300 kHz smoothedtone burst applied to the transmitter (T) produced an omni-directional Lamb wave into the plate. The receiver (R)detects a wave which is modified by the crack presence. Thecrack was grown through cyclic loading, and measurementswere taken at various crack lengths. The readings at zerocrack length were taken as the baseline. The scatter wavewas defined as the difference between the current receivedwave and the baseline wave. It was shown that the scatteramplitude increases linearly with the crack length.

Ihn and Chang (2002) and Ihn (2003) applied the sameembedded pitch-catch NDE method to detect multisitecrack damage in a metallic lap joint specimen (Figure 8).The lap joint contained two rows, each having 19 4.8 mm

rivets. A row of 18 embedded transmitters (T) were used tosend S0 Lamb waves to two rows of 18 embedded receivers(R). Constant amplitude cyclic tensile loading for acceler-ated fatigue testing was used. Multisite crack damage wasobserved to develop at several locations. The test was inter-rupted seven times to evaluate the cracks progression (40,65, 80, 100, 120, and 140 kcycles). Final failure occurred at160 kcycles. No visual inspection was possible. Crack pro-gression was evaluated with conventional NDE methods(ultrasonic through-the-thickness scan and eddy currentprobes) as well as with embedded pitch-catch NDE. A dam-age index based on the cumulative TOF of the 420 kHz S0

Lamb wave was used. Figure 9 shows that the probability of detection (POD) of

the e-NDE pitch-catch method is comparable with that ofconventional ultrasonic and eddy current methods for crackslarger than 5–8 mm. Circles represent embedded pitch-catchNDE; triangles represent eddy currents NDE. To obtain thePOD, the different crack events monitored by conventionalNDE were ranked from the largest to the smallest cracklength and then compared the embedded pitch-catchmethod, i.e.

(21)

where SC is the sum of the crack events recorded by thepitch-catch method, M is the total number of crack eventsrecorded by NDE, and N is the serial event. The embeddedpitch-catch NDE was also used for detecting fatigue crackgrowth in a metallic specimen repaired with a boron-epoxypatch. Good detection of cracks larger than 4–8 mm wasobserved (Ihn, 2003).

4.4. Crack and Disbond/Delamination Detection in Composite Structures with Embedded Pitch-Catch Non-destructive Evaluation Method

Composite structures are typically resistant to through-the-thickness cracks due to the inherent crack resistance of fiberreinforcement. However, in layered composite structures,cracks can easily propagate parallel to the wall surface, typ-ically at the interface between layers. These cracks can beinitiated by fabrication imperfections or low-velocityimpact damage; subsequently, they propagate by cyclicfatigue loading. In conventional NDE, composite cracks anddelaminations are detected with ultrasonic probes that can

Figure 6. Embedded ultrasonics damage detection techniques with the pitch-catch method.

POD SCM 1 N–+------------------------=


Figure 7. Crack detection in metallic plate with the embedded pitch-catch method: (a) conceptual configuration; (b) experi-mental setup; (c) received waves and scatter wave; (d) linear variation of scatter amplitude with crack length (Ihn, 2003).

Figure 8. Multisite crack detection in metallic lap joint specimen plate with the embedded pitch-catch method: two rows of 19rivet holes were monitored using a row of 18 embedded transmitters (T) sending S0 Lamb-waves to two rows of 18 embeddedreceivers (R) (Ihn, 2003).


sense additional echoes due to through-the-thickness P-waves being reflected by the delamination. Area coverage isachieved with surface scanning (C-scans) using manualmeans or mechanical gantries. The aim of embedded pitch-catch NDE is to detect cracks and delaminations in compos-ite structures using guided waves transmitted from one loca-tion and received at a different location. The disbond/delamination produces signal diffraction and mode conver-sion that can be analyzed and compared with the pristinesignals. Analysis of the change in the guided wave shape,phase, and amplitude should yield indications about thecrack presence and its extension. In addition, the sensor net-work built into the structure can be also used for monitoringlow-velocity impact events that may be the cause of com-posite damage.

Chang (1998) first demonstrated that a network of piezo-electric disks could be embedded in a dielectric film, calledthe “SMART layer.” By emitting controlled diagnostic sig-nals from a piezoelectric disk, the signals could be caught atneighboring piezoelectric disks. The pitch-catch techniquewas further used by Wang and Chang (1999) to identifyimpact damage in composite structures. The experimentalsetup consisted of an array of four piezoelectric disks con-nected through a selector box to either a signal generator/actuator amplifier or a sensor amplifier/DAQ card. Tone-burst signals were sent from one of the piezoelectric disksand collected at all the other piezoelectric disks, in a round-robin fashion. The tone-burst frequency was swept over the40–150 kHz range. A0 Lamb waves traveled in the plate andwere scattered by the damage. The signal interpretationconsisted of analyzing the short-time Fourier transform(STFT) spectrograms to identify the TOF for each of the sixpaths possible between the four piezoelectric disks. Theresulting TOF measurements were related to the location,size, and orientation of the damage by comparison withTOF values calculated with an analytical model. Detectionresults obtained with the embedded pitch-catch methodcompared very well with the specimen X-ray images(Figure 10).

Similarly, Lemistre et al. (1999, 2000) used a network oftransmitter–receiver piezoelectric disks (5 mm diameter, 0.1mm thick) to detect delamination in a composite plate. A10-cycle 365 kHz tone burst transmitted from one of thepiezoelectric disks generated S0 Lamb waves that were scat-tered by the damage into A0 and SH0 waves through diffrac-tion and mode conversion. The received signals wereanalyzed with the discrete wavelet transform and comparedwith the pristine-plate signals. The analysis was performedusing simple TOF considerations. No analytical model ofthe damaged plate was needed. Wavelet transform was alsoused by Staszewski et al. (1999), Deng et al. (1999), Su andYe (2004), and others.

Ihn and Chang (2002) and Ihn (2003) used the pitch-catchtechnique with SMART layer instrumentation to detect dis-bonds in boron-epoxy composite patch repair of cracks inmetallic structures (Figure 11). A SMART layer was embed-ded between the composite repair layers. A0 Lamb waves,which are more sensitive to disbond and delaminations, wereused. The A0 Lamb wave frequency was 320 kHz. It wasfound that the damage index based on A0 scatter energy wasable to correctly detect the disbond presence.

5. Embedded Pulse-echo Method for Crack and Delamination Detection

In conventional NDE, the pulse-echo method has tradi-tionally been used for through-the-thickness testing. Forlarge area inspection, through-the-thickness testing requiresmanual or mechanical moving of the transducer over thearea of interest, which is labor intensive and time-consum-ing. It seems apparent that guided wave pulse-echo seemsmore appropriate, since wide coverage could be achievedfrom a single location.

5.1. Lamb Wave Crack Detection

For crack detection with the pulse-echo method, an appro-priate Lamb wave mode must be selected. Giurgiutiu et al.(2003) used finite element simulation to show that the S0

Lamb waves can give much better reflections from through-the-thickness cracks than the A0 Lamb waves (Figure 12).This effect can be attributed to S0 being (a) better reflectedfrom the crack and (b) much less dispersive. The first itemgives a strong signal, while the second ensures that the wavepacket is compact and easy to interpret.

The use of guided waves for crack detection has found animmediate application in long and uniform structures, suchas pipes, tubing, and cables. The advantage of using guidedwaves is immediately apparent. Conventional through-the-thickness testing requires large pipe areas to be minutelyinspected. In addition, access to the outside pipe surfacerequires removal of the insulation and then reinstallation ofthe insulation after the tests. Using guided waves, a probecan be applied to the pipe at only one location, from which aconsiderable length of the pipe can be inspected. The insula-tion is only removed at the location where the probe isapplied. Special probes are available for guided wave pipeinspection. Alleyne et al. (2001) developed a “comb” arrayprobe which surrounds the pipe. Kwun and Bartels (1998)and Kwun et al. (2002) developed an electromagneticallycoupled transducer for SH guided waves using a portable

Figure 9. POD of the embedded pitch-catch NDE in com-parison with conventional ultrasonics and eddy currents (Ihn,2003).


coil and a nickel foil affixed to the structure. Rose et al.(1994) studied the use of guided waves for the inspection ofnuclear steam generator tubing. Reflections from circumfer-ential cracks were obtained. Alleyne et al. (2001) usedguided waves to detect circumferential cracks and corrosionin steel pipes. The properties of axial-symmetric and non-axial-symmetric modes were used. For circumferentialcracks, it was found that the reflection coefficient is directlyproportional to the circumferential extent. Thus, the reflec-tion coefficient of a half wall thickness notch with a circum-ferential extent of half a pipe diameter (16% of the pipecircumference) is approximately 5% (–26 dB). This detec-tion sensitivity (40 dB signal-to-coherent-noise ratio) wasfound satisfactory for most applications. The detection oflongitudinal cracks in pipes was achieved by Luo et al.

(2003) using electromagnetically coupled SH (torsional)waves. Light et al. (2002) used the same method to detectthrough-the-thickness cracks in plates. Rizzo and Lanza diScaldia (2004) used guided waves to detect crack in tendonsand suspension cables.

5.2. Crack Detection with Embedded Pulse-echo Method

The embedded pulse echo method follows the generalprinciples of conventional Lamb wave NDE. A PWAS trans-ducer attached to the structure acts as both transmitter anddetector of guided Lamb waves traveling in the structure.The wave sent by the PWAS is partially reflected at thecrack. The echo is captured at the same PWAS acting as

Figure 10. Impact damage identification in composite structures using the embedded pitch-catch method: (a) experimentalschematic diagram; (b) picture of the panel showing the “real damage” detected by X-rays, and the “estimated damage”detected by the embedded pitch-catch method. The locations of the four piezoelectric disks (“PZT”) are also shown (Wang andChang, 1999).


receiver (Figure 13). For the method to be successful, it isimportant that a low-dispersion Lamb wave is used. Theselection of such a wave, e.g. the S0 mode, is achievedthrough the Lamb wave tuning methods (Giurgiutiu, 2003).

Moetakef et al. (1996) studied Lamb wave generation inmetallic beams by piezoceramic wafers with interdigitalelectrodes. This approach, bearing on the SAW technology,ensures excitation of the guided waves having the half-wavelength equal to the interdigital spacing. The transmit-ted signal was enhanced by phasing the excitation to indi-vidual electrodes proportional to the electrode spacing. Fordetection, single-electrode probes of half-wavelength widthwere used (Figure 14). Successful detection of echoes fromnotches was also reported.

Diaz Valdes and Soutis (2002) studied the detection ofdelaminations in a composite beam using the embeddedpulse-echo method with low-frequency A0 Lamb waves.Figure 15(a) shows the experimental setup. RectangularPWAS (20 × 5 mm2) were used with the length orientedalong the beam axis. This ensures that Lamb waves werepredominantly excited along the beam length. Two PWASwere used: one as transmitter (actuator), the other as receiver(sensor). A 5.5 cycle 15 kHz Hanning smoothed tone burstwas applied to the transmitter PWAS. Figure 15(b) showsthe signal recorded in the pristine beam. The initial bang andthe reflection from the end of the beam are apparent. Then, adelamination was generated in the composite beam using ascalpel blade. The size of the delamination was progres-sively increased, as indicated in Figure 15(c). The presenceof the delamination crack produced an additional echo, asshown in Figure 15(d). This work was extended to compos-ite plates by Diamanti et al. (2002).

Figure 11. Embedded pitch-catch NDE for disbond detection of composite repairs of metallic structures (Ihn, 2003).

Figure 12. Finite element simulation indicates that S0 Lambwaves can give better crack reflections than the A0 Lambwaves (Giurgiutiu et al., 2003).


Osmond et al. (2002) used the embedded pulse-echomethod to detect damage in the foam core of a sandwichplate with glass fiber skins. The damage was simulated by ahole in the foam. Low-frequency A0 Lamb waves (10 and20 kHz) were used. It was shown that damage location andintensity can be deduced from the echo analysis without ananalytical model of the damaged plate. Barnoncel et al.(2003) used the same method to detect real impact damages.

For detection of through-the-thickness cracks in metallicspecimens, higher-frequency S0 Lamb waves are required,such that the wavelength is sufficiently smaller than thecrack. Figure 16 presents crack detection experiments per-formed with an embedded PWAS on a metallic aircraftpanel. The panel has a typical aircraft construction: verticalsplice joint and horizontal stiffeners (the splice is only par-tially shown at the left of the picture). The top panel is pris-

Figure 13. Principles of embedded ultrasonics damage detection with the pulse-echo method.

Figure 14. Interdigital transmitter and single electrode receiver used for damage detection in an aluminum beam (Moetakef etal., 1996).

Figure 15. Detection of delaminations with the embedded pulse-echo method: (a) experimental setup; (b) signals in the pris-tine specimen show only reflections from the beam end; (c) through-the-thickness C-scans of the specimen with conventionalultrasonics; (d) signal in damaged specimen shows additional echo from the delamination crack.


tine, while the bottom panel has a simulated through-the-thickness crack (12.7 mm hairline slit) emanating from thefirst rivet hole in the top horizontal row. One PWAS wasinstalled on each panel at 100 mm from the first rivet (200mm from the splice joint). Adjacent to each photograph arethe pulse-echo signals. For the pristine panel, the signal con-tains reflections from the splice joint and backscatter fromthe rivet holes located at the beginning of the horizontalrow. The echoes from the structural splice start to arrive atapproximately 60 µs, while the backscatter from the rivets isvisible at around 42 µs. For the panel with a simulatedcrack, similar signal features appear; however, the feature atthe 42 µs position is somehow stronger due to the presenceof the crack. Indeed, the signal feature at 42 µs correspondsto the superposed signals from the rivets and from the crack.The detection of the crack seems particularly difficultbecause the echoes from the crack are mixed with the back-scatter from the collocated rivets.

This difficulty can be easily resolved in an SHM situation,in which historical signal records are available. Thus, onecan apply the differential signal method, i.e. subtract the“pristine” signal from the “damage” signal. Such a situationof using archived signals is typical of health monitoring sys-

tems. When the two signals were subtracted, the result pre-sented in the last row of Figure 16 was obtained. Thisdifferential signal shows a “loud and clear” echo due entirelyto the crack. The echo, marked “reflection from the crack” iscentered at 42 µs, which corresponds to a TOF of 37 µs asmeasured from the center of the “initial bang”. This valuecorrelates very well with a total travel from the PWAS to thecrack at the S0 mode speed mm µs–1. This simpleexperiment demonstrates the capability of embedded PWASto detect structural cracks. However, one problem remains:this one-PWAS detection lacks directionality. The detectedcrack can be anywhere on a 100 mm radius. To obtain direc-tionality of detection, a PWAS phased array can be used, asshown in the next section.

6. Embedded Phase Arrays for Large Area Imaging

Real-time phased-array systems have become very popu-lar in NDE practice. Krautkramer (2002) offers a productline of phased-array transducers for the inspection of verythick specimens, and for the sidewise inspection of thickslabs, etc., with P-waves (Figure 17). For Rayleigh andLamb waves, Deutsch et al. (1997, 1998, 1999) developed a

Figure 16. Crack detection experiments on an aircraft panel: the left column represents specimens (1 mm 2025 T3); the rightcolumn represents the pulse-echo signals. The last cell in the right column shows the crack detection through the differentialsignal method.

cS05.4=


phased-array self-focusing method, by which the delaytimes are adjusted to focus the beam exactly on the defect.Schwartz et al. (1999) proposed a Lamb wave ultrasonictomography imaging system for aircraft structural healthassessment. The acquisition and processing of Lamb wavedata uses the image reconstruction method and is based onalgorithms developed for cross-borehole tomography. Thetransducer geometry consists of parallel arrays of transmit-ters–receivers. The simulated damage was a circular defectwith a 2.5 mm diameter in an aluminum plate. The resultsshowed that the method could accurately determine thedimension, shape, and location of defect by reconstructingan area of 30.5 × 30.5 cm2.

Moulin et al. (2003) studied the feasibility of inducing beamsteering with embedded rectangular PWAS. A three-elementarray mounted on a composite plate was used as transmitterof somehow directional beams of S0 Lamb waves, whileperipherally placed PWAS were used as receivers. Changesin the signal amplitudes due to damage were observed. Beamsteering studies were also carried out by Sundaraman andAdams (2002), Purekar and Pines (2003), and others.

Giurgiutiu and Bao (2002) developed a PWAS phased-array technique, the EUSR. Its principle of operation isderived from two general concepts:

(1) the generation of tuned guided Lamb wave with PWAS;(2) the principles of conventional phased-array radar.

The EUSR approach is different from the conventionalphased array approach in two aspects:

(1) it uses structurally-embedded PWAS transducers; (2) it works in virtual time, not in real time.

Of these two items, the latter is very important for SHM,because it allows the phased-array benefits without thedrawback of real-time multichannel phased excitation equip-ment. Whereas real-time phased-array transducers require

heavy and complex multichannel phased excitation equip-ment, the virtual-time approach adopted by the EUSRmethod can be carried out with only one channel and verysimple equipment (Figure 18). On the investigated structure,the EUSR method captures and stores an array of elementalsignals. In a round-robin fashion, one PWAS is activated astransmitter, while all the PWAS, including the transmitter,act as receivers. The activated sensor acts in pulse-echomode, i.e. as both transmitter and receiver; the other sensorsact as passive sensors. Thus, a matrix of M × M elementalsignals is generated. In the post-processing phase, the ele-mental signals are assembled into the synthetic beamform-ing response using the synthetic beamformer algorithm.

6.1. Phase Array Principles Used in the Embedded Ultrasonic Structural Radar

The principles of conventional phased-array radar (Silvia,1987) are applied to the EUSR algorithm assuming a uni-form linear array of M transmitter/receivers PWAS, whereeach PWAS acts as a pointwise omnidirectional source/sink.The PWAS in the array are spaced at the distance d = λ / 2,which is assumed much smaller than the distance r to ageneric, far-distance point, P. Since d << r, the rays joiningthe sensors with the point P can be assimilated with a paral-lel fascicle, of angle φ. Therefore, for the mth PWAS, thedistance will be shortened by m(d cosφ). If all the PWAS arefired simultaneously, the signal from the mth PWAS willarrive at P quicker by ∆m(φ) = m(d cosφ) / c. Yet, if thePWAS are not fired simultaneously, but with some individ-ual delays, δm, m = 0, 1, …, M – 1, then the total signalreceived at point P will be

(22)

where represents the decrease in the wave amplitudedue to the omnidirectional two-dimensional radiation, and

Figure 17. (a) Conventional phased-array ultrasonic probe (Krautkramer, 2002). (b) Illustration of phased-array principle.

sP t( ) 1

r------ sT t r

c--– ∆m φ( ) δm–+

,m 0=

M 1–

∑=

1 r⁄


r / c is the delay due to the travel distance between the refer-ence PWAS (m = 0) and the point P. (Wave-energy conser-vation with no dissipation is assumed.)

Transmitter beamforming is achieved by makingδm = m∆(φ). Equation (22) becomes

(23)

Equation (23) shows an M times increase in the signalstrength with respect to a single PWAS due to the construc-tive interference of all the PWAS signals when the geomet-ric delay, ∆m, and the firing delay, δm, coincide. Since ∆m =md cos(φ) / c, we can write δm = md cos(φ0) / c which indi-cates that beamforming will take place when cos(φ) =cos(φ0), i.e. at angles φ = ±φ0.

Receiver beamforming is achieved in a similar way. Wesynchronize the signals received from a point P at azimuthφ0, by using the delays

(24)

The pulse-echo method consists of combining the trans-mitter beamforming with the receiver beamforming, andthen we steer the interrogation beam at the target existing atazimuth φ0 and range R. At the target, the signal is backscat-tered with a backscatter coefficient, A. Hence, the echo sig-nal is

(25)

Then, the target range R can be calculated from the echoTOF τ = 2R / c. By two-dimensionally plotting the recon-structed signals obtained for incremental φ0 values, one canmap a complete half-plane into an image indicating theposition of the target.

6.2. Experimental Results with the EUSR Method

EUSR experiments were conducted in the Laboratory forAdaptive Materials and Smart Structures (LAMSS) at theUniversity of South Carolina. The experimental setup is pre-sented in Figure 18. The specimens consists of a 1 mm thickaluminum square plate (1220 × 1200 mm2) with a PWASarray in the middle (nine APC 850 piezoceramic wafers,0.2 mm thick, 7 × 7 mm2, 9 mm spacing). One specimen hada simulated broadside crack (φ0 = 90o, R = 305 mm), theother an offside crack (φ0 = 136.3o, R = 409 mm). The simu-lated cracks were 20 mm long, 0.127 mm wide. The excita-tion was a three-count smoothed tone burst of 300 kHz S0

Lamb waves. In a round-robin fashion, a total of 9 × 9 = 81elemental signals were collected. Figure 19(a) shows thelocation and size of the simulated crack (narrow slit) situatedbroadside with respect to the phased array. Figure 19(b)shows the imaging of the crack on the EUSR GUI and thereconstructed pulse-echo signal (A-scan). The signal recon-struction and the crack imaging were performed in virtualtime by applying the EUSR algorithm to the set of 81 ele-mental signals. By stepping the scanning beam through theinterval 0o to 180o, a complete scan of the plate upper halfwas obtained with the crack location clearly defined by apronounced gray-scale change (Figure19(b)). The A-scansignal can be used for precise identification of the cracklocation using the TOF τ = 112.4 µs and the group velocitycg_S0 = 5.440 mm µs–1, which yields R = 305.7 mm, i.e. amere 0.2% from the actual value (φ0 = 90o, R = 305 mm).Similar results were obtained for the offside crack(Figures 19(c) and (d)), in spite of the fact that the offsidecrack did not return a direct echo, but only diffractions fromthe crack tips (as shown in Figure19(c), the ultrasonic beamis deflected away from the phased array, but the crack tipsgenerate diffraction signals that are felt at the phased array).

In order to verify the effect of curvature, the thin alumi-num plate was temporarily bent into cylindrical shapesusing thin wire ropes and tightening screws. The realizedcurvatures were related to the shortening of the chord with

Figure 18. Experimental setup for the EUSR method (Giurgiutiu and Bao, 2002).

sP t( ) M1

r------sT

t rc--–

.⋅=

δm φo( ) mdc--- φ0( ).cos=

sR t( ) A M 2⋅R

--------------- sTm 0=

M 1–

∑ t 2Rc

-------– .=


respect to the original flat length. After curving, the originalflat length, L, became the circular arc, while the shortedwire rope became the chord, c = 2R sin(L / 2R). The differ-ence between the original length, L, and the shortenedlength, c, was denoted by ∆L. By varying ∆L, we were ableto vary R according to the relation

(26)

Shortenings of values ∆L = 5, 10, 15, and 20 mm corre-sponding to curvature values R = 3.90, 2.75, 2.24, and 1.95m were used. These curvatures were applied in two direc-tions. One direction was with the chord parallel to thePWAS array, while the other was with the chord perpendic-ular to the PWAS array. In both cases, good detection of thesimulated crack was observed (Giurgiutiu et al. 2004).

7. Other Techniques

Other interesting techniques for performing active SHMinclude, among others, the time reversal method and themigration technique.

7.1. Time Reversal Method

The time reversal method was developed by Fink (1992)in connection with the pitch-catch NDE method. The signalsent by the transmitter arrives at the receiver after beingmodified by the medium in which it travels. If the receivedsignal is time reversed and sent back from the receiver to thetransmitter, the effect of the medium is also reversed. Thisreversal is quite spectacular in the case of dispersive Lambwaves. In a series of remarkable experiments, Ing and Fink(1998) showed that the extensive dispersion of certain Lambwave modes can be almost completely compensated through

Figure 19. Crack detection in a flat plate: (a) location and size of simulated broadside crack; (b) imaging and echo of broad-side crack in the EUSR algorithm; (c) location and size of simulated offside crack; (b) imaging and echo of offside crack in theEUSR algorithm.

R L ∆L–( ) 2 L 2R⁄( )sin[ ].⁄=


the time reversal method. Deutsch et al. (1997) also used toconcept of reversing the reflected waves in order to focus alinear array of conventional ultrasonic transducers transmit-ting Rayleigh and Lamb waves. The time reversal methodhas proven especially useful in ultrasonic imaging of diffi-cult media (Berryman et al., 2002).

In SHM, the time reversal method has been recentlyreported by several authors. Wang et al. (2003) used thetime reversal method on an aluminum plate. Sohn et al.(2004a) and Park et al. (2004) used the time reversal methodto detect damage in composite panels. Their approach usesthe assumption that “because the time reversibility of wavesis fundamentally based on the linear reciprocity of the sys-tem, this linear reciprocity and the time reversal break downif there exist any source of wave distortion due to wave scat-tering along the wave path. Therefore, by comparing thediscrepancy between the original input signal and the recon-structed signal, damage could be detected.” This approachseems to remove the need for a historical baseline, which isinherent in other SHM methods. In addition, the methoduses wavelet signal generation and processing to enhancethe time reversal process in the case of multimode Lambwave propagation.

7.2. Migration Technique

The migration technique is a signal processing methodthat originated in geophysical acoustics. In geophysicalexploration, a small explosion is created on the Earth’s sur-face, which generates wave traveling in the Earth’s interiorand on its surface. A number of geophones are used torecord both the initial bang and the waves reflected from thevarious inhomogeneities in the Earth interior. The migrationtechnique attempts to image the subsurface reflectors bymoving (“migrating”) the recorded wave field to the actualspatial locations of these reflectors in the Earth’s interior.The process back-propagates the recorded waves by system-atically solving the wave equation as time-dependent bound-ary value problems based on Huygens’ principle.

Lin and Yuan (2001b, 2001c, 2005) adapted the migra-tion technique to the SHM of damage in plates. Both finitedifference simulations and experimental results obtained onan aluminum plate were presented. The antisymmetric platewaves were modeled with Midlin’s plate theory and thewave propagation solution was calculated with a finite dif-ference algorithm. This finite difference method migratesbackwards the waves diffracted by the damage to identifythe damage location and extend. A linear array of sparselyspaced PWAS was used to detect crack damage using themigration technique. Nine piezoelectric disks were mountedat 25 mm (1 inch) interval across a metallic plate and usedin turn as transmitters and receivers of antisymmetric platewaves in a round-robin fashion. The damage was simulatedin the form of an arc-shaped through-the-thickness slit(1.1 mm wide, 12.5 mm radius) placed at 150 mm (6 inches)from the transducers. The transmitter transducer creates awave front that is scattered by the damage and comes backto the receiver transducers where it is recorded in digital for-mat. In processing the experimental data, the migrationtime-step was taken equal to the sampling interval of theanalog-to-digital (A/D) converter. At each time-step, thereceived waves are migrated (back-propagated) towards the

damage location. Applying migration to each time sectiongives an image of the plate based on a single transmitter. Anenhanced image is obtained by adding (stacking) the indi-vidual contributions of all the transmitters in the round-robin process. This is the pre-stack migration method. As analternative, the stacking can be done first (with appropriatesynchronization of the individual signals), and the migrationdone second. This is the post-stack migration method. Thepost-stack migration is less computationally intensive, butthe pre-stack migration is more powerful in increasing thesignal-to-noise ratio.

8. Conclusions and Further Work

In this paper, an emerging new technology has been dis-cussed: embedded ultrasonic NDE. This emerging technol-ogy is enabled by the use of embeddable ultrasonictransducers consisting of thin piezoelectric wafers that canbe permanently attached to metallic and composite struc-tures. For lack of a better term, Giurgiutiu et al. (2000) havecalled these embeddable transducers PWAS. The embeddedultrasonic technology enables active SHM, i.e. the on-demand interrogation of the structure, to determine its cur-rent state of health and predict the remaining life.

After reviewing the guided wave theory in plate, tube,and shell structures, we introduced the embeddable PWAStransducers. The PWAS piezoelectric properties (actuationand sensing) have been presented in connection with Lambwave excitation and detection. It is shown analytically andverified experimentally that Lamb wave mode tuning can beachieved by the judicious combination of PWAS dimen-sions, frequency values, and Lamb wave mode characteris-tics. For example, the A0 and S0 Lamb modes could beseparately tuned by using the same PWAS installation butdifferent frequency bands.

The embedded pitch-catch method was discussed in thecontext of detecting through-the-thickness fatigue cracks inmetallic structures and delamination and disbond cracks incomposite and other bonded structures. Then, the embeddedpitch-catch method was considered, again in metallic struc-tures and in composites. Finally, the embedded phased arraymethod was presented, with special attention to the EUSR.Examples of crack detection and imaging were provided forboth flat and curved metallic plates. Other methods, such asthe time reversal method and the migration techniques, havealso been discussed.

Although remarkable progress has been made in theembedded ultrasonic NDE development, considerable workremains to be done. To increase the acceptance of thisemerging technology, the refining of the theoretical analysisand calibration against well-planned experiments is needed.However, to deploy e-NDE techniques to in-service struc-tures, several hurdles have still to be overcome. In particular,the operational and environmental variations of the moni-tored structure need to be addressed. The NDE techniquespresented above perform damage diagnosis through patterncomparison of a test signal with a baseline signal. This typeof simple pattern comparison may be vulnerable to unde-sired changes of signals due to varying operational and envi-ronmental conditions of the structure such as temperaturevariation, humidity, etc. Several authors have addressed thisaspect (e.g. Mason, 2002; Sohn et al., 2004b; and others).


Further, a better understanding of the micromechanicalcoupling between PWAS and structure for various Lambmodes must be achieved. In addition, the behavior of thebonding layer between the PWAS and the structure must beclarified, such that predictable and repeatable results areachieved. The durability of this bond under extended envi-ronmental exposure must be determined. Last, but not least,the signal analysis methods must be developed to achieveprobability of detection values at least comparable with thatof conventional NDE methods.

Acknowledgments

The financial support of the Air Force Research Labora-tory, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, NDE Branch,under Universal Technology Corporation contract F33615-03-D-5204; Air Force Office of Scientific Research grantFA9550-04-0085, Capt. Clark Allred, PhD, program manager;National Science Foundation award CMS 0408578, Dr. ShihChi Liu, program director, are gratefully acknowledged.Special thanks are expressed to Professor Fu-Kuo Chang andDr. Jeong-Beom Ihn for their invaluable help with documen-tary material and constructive comments for the writing ofSections 4.3 and 4.4. Thanks are extended to all the authorsthat have kindly provided electronic files of their papers thatgreatly facilitated the writing of this review paper.

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