Interface wave propagating in composite pipe: A 3D simulation study

Guide wave is gradually used in non-destructive inspection of submarine pipe in recent years. Interface wave is a type of guide waves. Interface wave has some good characteristics, such as high energy and large displacement at interface. Compared with traditional Lamb wave method, interface wave in pipe structure has less modes in high frequency. Thus, interface wave is more easily analyzed than Lamb wave. In this paper, finite element model of metal layer composite pipe is created to simulate wave propagation of interface wave. The curve of speed which interface wave propagating along cylindrical interface in composite pipe is presented. The simulation example demonstrates that the interface wave method can be better candidate in detecting interface damage in composite pipe structure compared with Lamb wave.