A prior knowledge of group velocities of Lamb wave modes is a key for analysis of time signals in guidedwave based structural health monitoring. The identification of multiple wave modes may be complicated due to dependency of group velocity on frequency (dispersion). These dependencies for infinite plate of constant thickness can be calculated by a numerical solution of analytic equation. Two alternative approaches to determine group velocities of zero-order Lamb wave modes in aluminum plate were used in this work: Two-dimensional Fast Fourier Transform (2D-FFT) and methods of time-frequency processing. 2D-FFT requires a high number of time signals in equidistant points, therefore it was applied on data from finite element analysis of wave propagation in the plate. Group velocities for chosen frequencies were also determined using wavelet transform (WT) of signals as differencies of times of arrival measured by a pair of piezoelectric transducers. The results from 2D-FFT and wavelet transform were compared to the analytic solution.

No abstract

This work is focused on identification of material properties of piezoelectric patch transducers used e.g. for structural health monitoring before attaching to the substrate structure. Two experimental methods were concerned. At first two piezoelectric patches were supplied with a pair of collocated strain gauge rosettes. Both transducers were actuated with the same periodical signal. Significant difference in the results for two transducers was found, however it was claimed to be within tolerance by the producer. As an alternative method a measurement in an optical microscope was chosen. The patch was clamped at one side and actuated by a voltage signal. The displacement of the free end was captured by the microscope and processed in a graphical editor. Finally, a finite element model of the transducer was created and its material data were obtained by calibration with experimental data.