Characteristics of guided waves in anisotropic spherical curved plates

For ultrasonic non-destructive inspection of spherical curved plates, which is used in the fields of pressure vessels, spherical domes of power plants, and so on, characteristics of guided waves in spherical curved plates must be understood. Based on linear three-dimensional elasticity, an orthogonal polynomial series expansion approach is used for determining the guided wave dispersion curves and the displacements distributions in homogeneous anisotropic spherical curved plates. When the material is orthotropic or has fewer independent constants in the wave propagation direction, the coupled propagating waves can be decomposed of Lamb-like waves and SH wave. The independent SH wave is solved analytically by Bessel function. In order to test the accuracy and range of applicability of this polynomial approach, the two results of the SH wave is compared, the exact results by Bessel function and the results by the polynomial method. Guided wave dispersion curves for unidirectional composite spherical curved plates with different fiber intensity are calculated to show the effect of the fiber intensity on dispersion curves. Finally, the guided wave dispersion curves for orthotropic spherical curved plates at different radius of curvature are calculated and the inherited influences of the radius of curvature on the wave characteristics are discussed.