Multiple Crack Detection of Pipes Using PZT-Based Guided Waves

Abstract

This paper focuses on the multiple crack detection of steel pipelines using PZT-based guided waves. Numerical simulations of cracked pipes based on ultrasonic guided-waves are conducted by using the ANSYS finite element software. Based on the analysis of the reflected signal, the arrival time of the crack reflection waves are determined and the crack positions are accurately evaluated by the calculation of the travel time and group velocity of the PZT-based guided waves. The crack parameters are numerically altered to determine how the parameters impact the sensitive degree of the pipe crack damage. To validate the efficiency of the numerical simulation, an experiment of the multiple crack detection for the same parameter pipe with the numerical model is performed in the laboratory, and the results match well with the numerical simulation.