Ultrasonic guided wave propagation through welded lap joints

Abstract

The objective of the research presented here is the investigation of ultrasonic guided wave (UGW) propagation through the lap joint welded plates used in the construction of a storage tank floors. The investigations have been performed using numerical simulation by finite element method(FEM) and tested by measurement of the transmission losses of the guided waves transmitted through the welded lap joints. Propagation of the symmetric S0 mode in the welded stainless steel plates in the cases of different lap joint overlap width, operation frequency, and additional plate bonding caused by corrosion were investigated. It was shown that the transmission losses of the S0 mode can vary in the range of 2 dB to 8 dB depending on the ratio between lap joint width and wavelength. It was also demonstrated that additional bonding in the overlap zone caused by corrosion can essentially reduce transmission losses.