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Quantitatively detecting surface defects in a circular annulus with high levels of accuracy and efficiency has been paid more attention by researchers. The purpose of this study is to investigate the theoretical dispersion equations for circumferential guided waves and then develop an efficient technique for accurate reconstruction of defects in pipes.

The methodology applied to determine defects in pipelines includes four steps. First, the theoretical work is carried out by developing the appropriate dispersion equations for circumferential guided waves in a pipe. In this phase, formulations of strain-displacement relations are derived in a general equidistant surface coordinate. Following that, a semi-analytical finite element method (SAFEM) is applied to solve the dispersion equations. Then, the scattered fields in a circular annulus are calculated using the developed hybrid finite element method and simulation results are in accord with the law of conservation of energy. Finally, the quantitative detection of Fourier transform (QDFT) approach is further enhanced to efficiently reconstruct the defects in the circular annuli, which have been widely used for engineering applications.

Results obtained from four numerical examples of flaw detection problems demonstrate the correctness of the developed QDFT approach in terms of accuracy and efficiency. Reconstruction of circumferential surface defects using the extended QDFT method can be performed without involving the analytical formulations. Therefore, the streamlined process of inspecting surface defects is well established and this leads to the reduced time in practical engineering tests.

In this paper, the general dispersion equations for circumferential ultrasonic guided waves have been derived using an equidistant surface coordinate and solved by the SAFEM technique to discover the relationship between wavenumber of a wave and its frequency. To reconstruct defects with high levels of accuracy and efficiency, the QDFT approach has been further enhanced to inspect defects in the annular structure.

To describe the development of and experience with a system that tracks the position of knocks and taps atop a large sheet of glass for use as an inexpensive retrofit that can make large windows into interactive interfaces.

The structural‐acoustic wavefront coming from the impact is simultaneously recorded by four contact piezoelectric pickups mounted near the sheet's corners. A digital signal processor extracts relevant characteristics from these signals, such as amplitudes, frequency components, and differential timings, which are used to estimate the location of the hit and derive other parameters, including a degree of confidence in the position accuracy, the strike intensity and the nature of each hit (e.g. knuckle knock, metal tap, or fist bang – our system responds to any kind of impact). A set of heuristically‐guided rules are employed to compare the waveforms recorded by different sensors and determine the differential timing.

Across sensitive areas ranging up to 2×2 m, we have obtained position resolutions of σ=2.5 cm for 1/4 in. tempered glass and σ=3‐4 cm for 1 cm thick shatterproof glass. Our system delivers 65 ms latency, hence is essentially real time. The system has been installed in several public settings, and has proven to be very robust.

Suggestions are given for doing everything in software and not using the DSP. Analytical compensation of the dispersion would probably yield better precision but require more computation time.

As this system requires only simple hardware, it needs no special adaptation of the glass pane, and allows all tracking transducers to be mounted on the inner surface, hence it is quite easy and inexpensive to deploy as a retrofit to existing windows. This opens many applications, such as an interactive storefront, with content controlled by knocks on the display window, an interactive museum display case, or a vending machine where one can select by tapping directly above the desired item.

As large displays become less costly and more common, systems like these can make them interactive. This paper details our approach.

The purpose of this paper is to present the problems of the electromechanical impedance (EMI), especially its applications for structural health monitoring of aircraft bolt-joints and innovative approach of EMI prediction at loosening of bolt-joints.

This experimental study includes the results of a full-scale test of the Mi-8 helicopter tail beam, particularly, its bolt-joints of a beam with other parts of the structure. One of the connecting frames of the tail beam was equipped with piezoelectric transducers (PZT) glued on the surface of the frame near the bolts. The bolts' loosening was investigated by using the EMI technology.

It was demonstrated that loosening of the bolt-joint produces a significant and statistically stable change of the EMI metric. Presumably, both the small shift of resonance frequencies and the EMI magnitude and resistance change are caused mainly by damping variation at the bolt-joint loosening. In this analytical study, the 2D model of a constrained PZT is proposed. In contrast with the existing model, the modal decomposition analysis is used as a universal mean to express the dynamic properties and dynamic responses of both the transducer and the host structure. This approach, together with the finite element modal analysis, allows simulation of any complex system “PZT-host structure”. The model can be easily transformed also to the 3D one. The bolt-joint of the Mi-8 helicopter with the EMI measurement system was simulated by using the developed 2D model. The simulation results satisfactorily correspond to the test.

The results of this research can be used for implementation in the structural health monitoring of bolt-joints and other aerospace structural components.

The new experimental results on aircraft real bolt-joints were obtained. Especially significant is the original 2D model of the electromechanical impedance, based on the modal decomposition method, which can significantly improve the accuracy and the realistic description of the dynamic interaction between PZT and structure, as well as the dynamic response to the appearance of structural damage.

This article aims to propose a new measurement method for ultrasonic power based on self-reciprocity theorem which turns the estimation of ultrasonic power to the measurement of first echo current and open-circuit voltage of the driving source.

The formula for ultrasonic power is derived which has corrected the position of pressure reflection coefficient on the interface of water and steel. The diffraction correction for focusing transducers is evaluated using numerical computation of the Rayleigh integral. One way to estimate the reflection coefficient of focusing beams on heterogeneous interface is also depicted.

Comparison experiment with radiation force balance method demonstrates that ultrasonic power measurement using self-reciprocity is sound in theory and feasible in practice.

It has a better capability of anti-environmental interference and, thus, can be extended to low-level and high-frequency power measurements.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a bolt loosening detection approach which integrates piezoelectric ceramics with active sensor technology.

When the ultrasonic wave propagates across the contact surface at the bolted joints, because of the existence of imperfect interface, only part of the ultrasonic wave energy is passed through it. According to the Hertz contact theory, the passed energy depends on the true contact area which is decided by the bolt pretension. Hence, by measuring the received energy with the sensing piezoelectric material, the bolt pretension or bolt loosening can be detected.

The experiment revealed that the wave energy propagated across the interface is strongly correlated to the torque level. This relationship will be a good indicator to detect the status of bolted joints. The presented method has a potential application for the monitoring of bolt load loss in-site. Moreover, some factors which will affect the propagation of ultrasonic wave across the bolted joints are discussed in this paper.

This paper provides a good criterion to detect bolt load loss.

The purpose of this paper is to study the analytical solutions of transversely isotropic thermo-piezoelectric interactions in a polygonal cross-sectional fiber immersed in fluid using the Fourier expansion collocation method.

A mathematical model is developed for the analytical study on a transversely isotropic thermo-piezoelectric polygonal cross-sectional fiber immersed in fluid using a linear form of three-dimensional piezothermoelasticity theories. After developing the formal solution of the mathematical model consisting of partial differential equations, the frequency equations have been analyzed numerically by using the Fourier expansion collocation method (FECM) at the irregular boundary surfaces of the polygonal cross-sectional fiber. The roots of the frequency equation are obtained by using the secant method, applicable for complex roots.

From the literature survey, it is evident that the analytical formulation of thermo-piezoelectric interactions in a polygonal cross-sectional fiber contact with fluid is not discussed by any researchers. Also, in this study, a polygonal cross-section is used instead of the traditional circular cross-sections. So, the analytical solutions of transversely isotropic thermo-piezoelectric interactions in a polygonal cross-sectional fiber immersed in fluid are studied using the FECM. The dispersion curves for non-dimensional frequency, phase velocity and attenuation coefficient are presented graphically for lead zirconate titanate (PZT-5A) material. The present analytical method obtained by the FECM is compared with the finite element method which shows a good agreement with present study.

This paper contributes the analytical model to find the solution of transversely isotropic thermo-piezoelectric interactions in a polygonal cross-sectional fiber immersed in fluid. The dispersion curves of the non-dimensional frequency, phase velocity and attenuation coefficient are more prominent in flexural modes. Also, the surrounding fluid on the various considered wave characteristics is more significant and dispersive in the hexagonal cross-sections. The aspect ratio (a/b) of polygonal cross-sections is critical to industry or other fields which require more flexibility in design of materials with arbitrary cross-sections.

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors have attracted great attention worldwide for a variety of applications in measuring physical, chemical and biological parameters. However, stability has been one of the key issues which have limited their effective commercial applications. To fully understand this challenge of operation stability, this paper aims to systematically review mechanisms, stability issues and future challenges of SAW sensors for various applications.

This review paper starts with different types of SAWs, advantages and disadvantages of different types of SAW sensors and then the stability issues of SAW sensors. Subsequently, recent efforts made by researchers for improving working stability of SAW sensors are reviewed. Finally, it discusses the existing challenges and future prospects of SAW sensors in the rapidly growing Internet of Things-enabled application market.

A large number of scientific articles related to SAW technologies were found, and a number of opportunities for future researchers were identified. Over the past 20 years, SAW-related research has gained a growing interest of researchers. SAW sensors have attracted more and more researchers worldwide over the years, but the research topics of SAW sensor stability only own an extremely poor percentage in the total researc topics of SAWs or SAW sensors.

Although SAW sensors have been attracting researchers worldwide for decades, researchers mainly focused on the new materials and design strategies for SAW sensors to achieve good sensitivity and selectivity, and little work can be found on the stability issues of SAW sensors, which are so important for SAW sensor industries and one of the key factors to be mature products. Therefore, this paper systematically reviewed the SAW sensors from their fundamental mechanisms to stability issues and indicated their future challenges for various applications.

A new Protection of Consumers (Trade Descriptions) law to replace existing legislation was before the House of Lords—it had a second reading and passed to the Committee stage but has now lapsed because of the Election —as the outcome of the Molony Committee on Consumer Protection which made its final report about three years ago. Merchandise Marks law has proved extremely valuable protection for the consumer in a wide field of misdescription and in the narrower sphere of food control a useful measure for supplementing Sect. 6, Food and Drugs Act, 1955, especially where the latter seems less suitable in application. The broad purpose of the Merchandise Marks Acts is to deal with misdescription of goods—false trade description—and as far as food is concerned, this is not always a matter of quality. On rare occasions it has been seen to work in reverse. In the curious case of Essex County Council v. Tuckwell (Butchers) Ltd., 1964, where the defendant had inadvertently supplied English instead of the New Zealand lamb ordered, generally accepted as being meat of better quality, the L.C.J. held that there was no defence against the charge of having sold meat with a false trade description.

The smaller sizes of current electronic devices suggest the feasibility of creating a smart composite structure using piezoelectric implant to monitor in-situ and in-service conditions the life of civil and aerospace structures. Piezoelectric (lead zirconate-titanate (PZT)) sensors embedded within laminates composites represent a new branch of engineering with the potential to greatly enhance the confidence and use of these materials. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

This study presents a health monitoring of laminates composites materials incorporating by piezoelectric (PZT) implant using acoustic emission (AE) technique. A series of specimens of laminate composite with and without embedded piezoelectric were tested in three-point bending tests in static and creep loading while continuously monitoring the response by the AE technique. The AE signals were analysed using the classification k-means method in order to identify the different damages and to follow the evolution of these various mechanisms for both types of materials (with and without embedded sensors).

Comparing embedded sensor to sensor mounted on the surface, the embedded sensor showed a much higher sensitivity. It was thus verified that the embedded AE sensor had great potential for AE monitoring in fibre reinforced composites structures.

Piezoelectric implant to monitor in-situ and in-service conditions the life of civil and aerospace structures.