Nonlinear Acoustic and Ultrasonic NDT of Aeronautical Components

In response to the demand for innovative microdamage inspection systems, with high sensitivity and undoubted accuracy, we are currently investigating the use and robustness of several acoustic and ultrasonic NDT techniques based on Nonlinear Elastic Wave Spectroscopy (NEWS) for the characterization of microdamage in aeronautical components. In this report, we illustrate the results of an amplitude dependent analysis of the resonance behaviour, both in time (signal reverberation) and in frequency (sweep) domain. The technique is applied to intact and damaged samples of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics (CFRP) composites after thermal loading or mechanical fatigue. The method shows a considerable gain in sensitivity and an incontestable interpretation of the results for nonlinear signatures in comparison with the linear characteristics. For highly fatigued samples, slow dynamical effects are observed.