Measurement of Ultrasonic Nonlinear Parameter by Using Electromagnetic Acoustic Transducer

The nonlinear ultrasonic technology is generally known as an effective method for the microcrack detection. However, most of the previous experimental studies were limited by a contact nonlinearity method. Since measurement by the contact method is affected by the coupling conditions, additional nonlinear coefficient are lead into the measurement. This research presents a novel technique for nonlinear ultrasonic wave measurements that uses a non-contact electromagnetic ultrasonic transducer (EMAT). And for a better understanding and a more in-depth analysis of the macroscopic nonlinear behavior of microcrack, the developed FEM modeling approach was built to simulate microcrack induced nonlinearities manifested in electromagnetic ultrasonic waves and validated experimentally. This study has yielded a quantitative characterization strategy for microcrack using EMAT, facilitating deployment of structural health monitoring by noncontact electromagnetic nondestructive testing.