Crack detection using nonlinear acoustics and piezoceramic transducers—instantaneous amplitude and frequency analysis

This paper investigates the nonlinear vibro-acoustic modulation technique for damage detection in metallic structures. Surface-bonded, low-profile piezoceramic actuators are used to introduce a high-frequency ultrasonic wave and low-frequency modal vibration into an aluminium specimen. The response of the vibro-acoustic interaction is monitored by a third low-profile piezoceramic transducer. In contrast to previous applications analysing the response in the frequency domain, current investigations focus on the instantaneous characteristics of the response using the Hilbert–Huang transform. The study shows that both modulations, i.e. amplitude and frequency, are present in the acoustical responses when the aluminium plate is cracked. The intensity of amplitude modulation correlates far better with crack lengths than the intensity of frequency modulations.