A Linear Mapping Technique for Dispersion Removal of Lamb Waves

Abstract

A robust signal processing technique using linear mapping for removing dispersion of Lamb waves is presented in this article. Based on the assumption that the dispersion relation characteristic can be adequately approximated by a finite polynomial in the region close to the high wave energy intensity, the dispersion effect begins to reveal in the second-order term of the polynomial. The linear mapping performed in the finite usable frequency domain is to transform the original in priori known dispersion relation into the linear dispersion relation, i.e., truncated the polynomial up to the linear term which is nondispersive. The linear mapping technique does not require the propagation-path lengths and can be applied to the signals consisting of multiple arrivals with the same wave mode or dispersion characteristic. Synthetic and experimental data for isotropic plates with finite in-plane dimensions excited by the fundamental flexural wave mode are shown to demonstrate the robustness of the proposed dispersion removal technique.