Elastic wave and energy propagation in angled beams

Abstract

This investigation comprises an experimental and numerical study of elastic wave propagation in angled beams. Axial impact by two strikers of different lengths was applied to three steel beams, each bent to incorporate a “V” section of different angle in the middle. Finite element simulation using ABAQUS was employed to examine details of the elastic waves generated in the impact tests. The numerical results correlated well with experimental data, and computational simulation was utilized to analyse the propagation of energy associated with the elastic waves. This demonstrated that after several reflections from and transmission across the bends energy is progressively smeared throughout the entire beam and does not concentrate at any particular segment; the bulk of the energy is conveyed via flexural waves. Numerical simulation of wave propagation in a beam with a single angle was also undertaken to study the energy associated with waves reflected from and transmitted across the bend, and how these are affected by the bend angle. The effects of input pulse duration, beam thickness and beam material properties on energy reflection and transmission at a bend are also discussed; this leads to the conclusion that when a longitudinal pulse of a particular frequency impinges on a bend, the ratio between its wavelength and the beam thickness governs the energy reflected from and transmitted across the bend. Moreover, the bend junction geometry (curvature) is found to have a significant influence on the energy reflected and transmitted, especially for obtuse bend angles.