Use of Highly Nonlinear Solitary Waves in Nondestructive Testing

This paper proposes the use of highly nonlinear solitary waves (HNSWs) for the nondestructive testing (NDT) of structural materials. HNSWs are mechanical waves that can form and travel in highly nonlinear systems, such as in 1D chains of particles, where they are generated by means of a mechanical impact. HNSWs have a constant spatial wavelength and are characterized by the important property that their speed, amplitude and duration can be tuned by modifying the particles' material or size, or the velocity of the impactor (striker). In the study presented in this paper, the feasibility of HNSWs for the NDT of aluminum, concrete and composites was investigated. Specifically, this study evaluated the capability of HNSWs to assess debonds in an aluminum lap-shear joint, determine the initial setting of concrete, and detect impact-related damage in a composite plate.