Acoustic Emission

Abstract

Acoustic emission (AE) is one of the most promising methods for structural health monitoring (SHM) of materials and structures. Because of its passive and non-invasive nature, it can be used during the operation of a structure and supply information that cannot be collected in real time through other techniques. It is based on the recording and study of the elastic waves that are excited by irreversible processes, such as crack nucleation and propagation. These signals are sensed by transducers and are transformed into electric waveforms that offer information on the location and the type of the source. This chapter intends to present the basic principles, the equipment, and the recent trends and applications in aeronautics, highlighting the role of AE in modern non-destructive testing and SHM. The literature in the field is vast; therefore, although the included references provide an idea of the basics and the contemporary interest and level of research and practice, they are just a fraction of the total possible list of worthy studies published in the recent years.