Scattering of bulk strain solitary waves in bi-layers with delamination

Abstract

We study the scattering of longitudinal bulk strain solitary waves in delaminated bi-layers with different types of bonding. The direct numerical modelling of these problems is challenging and has natural limitations. We develop a semi-analytical approach, based on the use of several matched asymptotic multiple-scale expansions and the Integrability Theory of the Korteweg - de Vries equation by the Inverse Scattering Transform. We show that the semi-analytical approach agrees well with the direct numerical simulations and use it to study the scattering of different types of longitudinal bulk strain solitary waves in a wide range of bi-layers with delamination. In particular, we model the dynamics of a long longitudinal strain solitary wave in a symmetric perfectly bonded bi-layer with delamination. The numerical modelling confirms that delamination causes fission of an incident solitary wave and, thus, can be used to detect the defect. We then extend our approaches to the modelling of the waves in bi-layers with soft (“imperfect”) bonding, described by a system of coupled Boussinesq equations and supporting radiating solitary waves. The results may help us to control the integrity of layered structures.