An Embedded SHM System for Monitoring of Pipelines Using Torsional Guided Wave Ultrasonics

SummaryUltrasonic guided wave (GW)-based structural health monitoring (SHM) is highly effective for real-time monitoring of emerging defects in infrastructure, including pipelines. Torsional GW modes are of great interest in pipeline monitoring, being non-dispersive and not attenuated by presence of fluids inside pressurized pipes. In this work, we leverage torsional GW modes for monitoring of a metallic pipe using in-plane poled thickness-shear d
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PZT transducers and a custom-designed FPGA-based embedded system for transduction and signal processing. The sensor configuration used in this work is suitable for transduction of the axisymmetric torsional mode, confirmed through finite element (FE) simulations and experiments. We also study the interaction of the axisymmetric torsional mode with circumferential defects (crack and notch).