Effects of Lateral Plate Dimensions on Acoustic Emission Signals From Dipole Sources

Published

December 1, 2001

Author(s)

Marvin A. Hamstad, Agnes O'Gallagher, John M. Gary

Abstract

Using a validated three-dimensional finite element code, the out-of-plane displacements corresponding to model sources of acoustic emission (AE) were calculated in aluminum plate samples of two different lateral dimensions. Both samples were 4.7 mm thick. The lateral dimensions were 480 mm by 25.4 mm, which represented a laboratory-size cupon sample, versus 1000 mm by 1000 mm, which represented a larger structural sample. The displacement signals were calculated for positions of the receiver on the top plate surface at several different distances (in the far-field) from the source epicenter. The signals were predicted for the same propagation distances in both the large and small samples. Models of both point-like sensors as well as sensors with a large aperture were used. The signals were filtered with either a 40 kHz high pass filter or a 100 to 300 kHz bandpass filter. The AE sources were modeled as either a point, single dipole (both in-plane and out-of-plane) or point, multi-dipole types that were located at different depths within the plate thickness. Analysis of the simulated AE signals shows that the superposition of edge reflections on the direct signal arrivals significantly distorts and amplifies AE signals in the laboratory-size coupon relative to a large field-sized sample. This causes significantly larger AE signal features such as signal amplitude, duration, and energy in the laboratory-sized sample. Edge reflections also distort the frequency spectrum of signals in the small sample.

Citation

Journal of Acoustic Emission

Volume

19

Issue

No. 1-4

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

acoustic emission modeling, source identification, specimen size effects, wave propagation, wave reflections

Citation

Hamstad, M. , O'Gallagher, A. and Gary, J. (2001), Effects of Lateral Plate Dimensions on Acoustic Emission Signals From Dipole Sources, Journal of Acoustic Emission (Accessed May 10, 2024)