Assessment of early fatigue in solid plates using quasi-static component by Lamb wave propagation under group velocity matching

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility of evaluating the degree of early fatigue in solid plates by utilizing quasi-static components (QSC) generated by primary Lamb wave (PLW) propagation. The investigation is carried out through theoretical considerations, numerical simulation, and experimental examination. The paper begins by examining the generation of QSCs by PLW propagation under group velocity matching. Subsequently, a suitable mode pair comprising primary and zero-frequency Lamb waves, which satisfy group velocity matching, is chosen for a given aluminum plate to enable the QSC to accumulate and grow with propagation distance. The aluminum plates are then subjected to tension-tension cyclic loading, and experimental measurements are performed. By measuring the amplitudes of the PLW and the generated QSC at different numbers of loading cycles (N), a quantitative relationship between the relative nonlinear acoustic parameter and N is established. The study demonstrates that the relative nonlinear acoustic parameter increases sensitively and monotonically with the increase in fatigue loading cycles. These experimental results confirm the feasibility of utilizing the group-velocity-matching QSC-based approach to evaluate the degree of early fatigue in solid plates.