title: Guided wave arrays for high resolution inspection.
abstract: The paper describes a general approach for processing data from a guided wave transducer array on a plate-like structure. The raw data set from such an array contains time-domain signals from each transmitter-receiver combination. The technique is based on linear superposition of signals in the frequency domain with some amplitude and phase factors and can be applied to any array geometry and any types of array elements. The problem of finding optimal coefficients, which allow the best resolution to be achieved with the minimum number of array elements, is investigated. It is shown that improvements in resolution are obtained at the expense of sensitivity to noise. A method of quantifying this sensitivity is presented. Results are shown that illustrate the application of the technique to a linear array and an array of circular geometry (containing a single ring of elements). Experimental data obtained from a guided wave array containing electromagnetic acoustic transducer elements for exciting and detecting the S0 Lamb wave mode in a 5-mm-thick aluminum plate are processed with different algorithms and the results are discussed. Generalization of the technique for the case of multimode media is suggested.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TR, United Kingdom. a.velichko@bristol.ac.uk
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Velichko
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Wilcox
mesh_terms: D000162:Acoustics; D055590:Electromagnetic Phenomena; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009622:Noise; D014159:Transducers; D014465:Ultrasonics