Pipe crack identification based on finite element method of second generation wavelets

In this paper, a new method is presented to identify crack location and size, which is based on stress intensity factor suitable for pipe structure and finite element method of second generation wavelets (SGW-FEM). Pipe structure is dispersed into a series of nested thin-walled pipes. By making use of stress intensity factor of the thin-walled pipe, a new calculation method of crack equivalent stiffness is proposed to solve the stress intensity factor of the pipe structure. On this basis, finite element method of second generation wavelets is used to establish the dynamic model of cracked pipe. Then we combine forward problem with inverse problem in order to establish quantitative identification method of the crack based on frequency change, which provides a non-destructive testing technology with vibration for the pipe structure. The efficiency of the proposed method is verified by experiments. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.