The focus of my research group at IITR is to investigate the guided wave propagation through structures, mainly from the perspective of Non-Destructive Evaluation. In this regard, following research activities are currently being explored:
Nonlinear interactions of Lamb waves with delamination defects
The delamination defect, as shown in the adjacent figure, is characterized by separation of the adjacent layers of the composite laminate. The accurate understanding of interaction of Lamb waves (a class of guided waves) with such delamination is essential in developing the wave based defect detection strategies. In this regard, we are exploring the nonlinear interactions of Lamb waves with breathing delamiantion.
Guided wave propagation in metallic pipes with elbows
NDE of piping components is a frequently carried out activity in industries such as: nuclear, oil etc. Use of the guided waves in this regard, is attracting the focus of researchers in the recent past. Our research efforts on this front, involve the exploration of the characteristic changes occurring in the guided waves as they pass through the bends in pipe.
Debond detection in sandwich plates with smoothly varying core thickness
Sandwich structures widely used in aviation industries are vulnerable to debond damages, and hence, need frequent inspection. The guided wave-based Non-Destructive-Evaluation of flat honeycomb sandwich plates is advancing lately. However, the sandwich structures such as: rotor blades of helicopters and wind turbines are made up of a core whose thickness varies smoothly. This structural characteristic alters the nature of guided waves, which need to be considered while developing NDE strategies. We are exploring the adiabatic mode of guided waves that propagate through the blade-like sandwich structures with and without debond defect, for facilitating defect detection.
Guided wave propagation through Dielectric Elastomer Actuators
DE membrane
The highly extensible soft dielectric polymers can be controlled electrically to modify their structural properties. This tunable behavior of DE membranes can potentially be used in designing the tunable acoustic filters. In this regard, we are analyzing the dispersion characteristics of guided waves propagating through such nearly in-compressible DE membranes.
Guided wave response