Wave propagation approach for NDE using surface bonded piezoceramics

This paper presents a wave propagation-based technique to detect and localize incipient damages in structures and machines. The technique utilizes arrays of surface-bonded piezoceramic (PZT) patches, which serve as transmitters and receivers of elastic waves through the monitored component. The operating frequency is maintained in the order of 100-150 kHz to enable high sensitivity in damage detection. The resulting frequency transfer functions facilitate the identification of the damaged region in the structure. The presented technique, which utilizes simple, economical and commercially available hardware and sensors, can be easily employed for real-time and online monitoring of critical structures, such as machine parts and aircraft components.