Wave propagation along transversely periodic structures
Mihai V. Predoi,
Department of Mechanics, University Politehnica Bucharest, Splaiul Independentei, 313, Sect. 6, Bucharest 77201 Romania
Michel Castaings, Bernard Hosten, and Christophe Bacon
Laboratoire de Mécanique Physique, Université Bordeaux 1, UMR CNRS 5469, 351 cours de la Libération,
33405 Talence Cedex, France
Received 18 October 2006; revised 12 December 2006; accepted 5 January 2007[1]
Abstract
The dispersion curves for guided waves have been of constant interest in the last decades, because
they constitute the starting point for NDE ultrasonic applications. This paper presents an evolution
of the semianalytical finite element method, and gives examples that illustrate new improvements
and their importance for studying the propagation of waves along periodic structures of infinite
width. Periodic boundary conditions are in fact used to model the infinite periodicity of the
geometry in the direction normal to the direction of propagation. This method allows a complete
investigation of the dispersion curves and of displacement / stress fields for guided modes in
anisotropic and absorbing periodic structures. Among other examples, that of a grooved aluminum
plate is theoretically and experimentally investigated, indicating the presence of specific and original
guided modes. © 2007 Acoustical Society of America.
DOI: 10.1121/1.2534256, PACS numbers[1]: 43.35.Cg, 43.20.Mv [RLW] Pages: 1935–1944