A study on guided wave propagation in a long distance curved pipe

Abstract

Guided ultrasound is effective for inspecting long-range structures and inaccessible areas. Large structures such as long-distance piping contain curved tubes, and it is difficult to establish the reliability of a test depending on the excretion environment and the scope of the test. When an ultrasonic wave propagates in the circumferential direction like in a curved pipe, the existing torsional wave is converted into a circumferential wave from the curved pipe, and then, the torsional mode occurs again after the curved pipe. In this paper, we defined the factors affecting the wave propagation in a curved pipe welded to a cylindrical pipe. Experimentally, the mode conversion phenomenon that occurred in the curved pipe was confirmed, and this technique can have an important role in quantitative signal analysis of buried pipes and the inspection of inaccessible pipes.