Application Cases

Regarding Ultrasonic Guided Waves

Ultrasonic guided waves are ultrasonic waves that propagate along specific paths, typically within structures (such as pipelines, plates, etc.) through waveguide structures formed by boundary conditions. They utilize the geometric characteristics and material properties of the structure to guide the acoustic wave propagation path, enabling rapid large-area scanning of the entire structure, improving detection efficiency, and reducing inspection costs. They are particularly suitable for the health monitoring and damage detection of large structures (such as pipelines, bridges, aircraft fuselages, etc.).

Power amplifiers accurately amplify the weak electrical signals output by signal generators to sufficient power levels, driving transducers to produce strong and stable ultrasonic guided waves. Without the enabling power of amplifiers, research on long-distance detection and quantitative defect analysis using ultrasonic guided waves would be unattainable.

Experimental Case Studies

▼ Application of Power Amplifier in Scattering Characteristic Analysis of Guided Waves in Bent Pipes Using Normal Mode Expansion

In this experiment, the scattering of guided waves in a curved pipe was studied using the normal mode expansion method. The test pipe is identical to the one used in the "Numerical Verification of Biorthogonality Relationship" section; this stainless steel pipe is bent 90° at its midpoint through thermal bending. A 5-cycle 30 kHz tone burst is generated by an arbitrary function generator and subsequently amplified by the high-voltage power amplifier ATA-3080. The amplified signal is then sent to the transmitting transducer to excite longitudinal guided waves in the pipe.

▼ Application of High-Voltage Amplifier in Damage Localization and Assessment of Composite Plates Based on Ultrasonic Guided Waves

This experiment performs damage localization and assessment on a composite plate based on ultrasonic guided waves, with an input signal center frequency of 80 kHz. The ultrasonic guided wave signal is sampled at a rate of 10 MHz. The excitation voltage is set to 20V, then boosted to a peak of 80V by a high-voltage amplifier. The preamplifier gain is set to 60 dB. To simplify dataset acquisition, additional mass blocks are considered to simulate actual damage.

▼ Application of Broadband Amplifier in Ultrasonic Guided Wave-Based Ice Detection

This experiment utilizes ultrasonic guided waves to achieve quantitative identification of aircraft icing, which can significantly improve aircraft operational safety. To validate the effectiveness of numerical simulations, a static/dynamic ice detection experimental system was developed to assess the feasibility of Lamb wave-based ice detection under spray conditions. Furthermore, wavelet transform, Hampel median filter, and moving average filter are used to analyze time-of-flight and detection time signals. Ultimately, the experiment verifies that ultrasonic guided waves can effectively identify ice accretion during dynamic icing processes.

▼ Application of High-Voltage Amplifier in Studying the Coupled Influence of Ambient Temperature and Structural Stress on Guided Wave Propagation Characteristics

This experiment proposes a temperature-stress coupled dispersion analysis model for plate and shell structures. An ultrasonic guided wave experimental system is used to measure the phase velocity changes of different guided wave modes under the coupled effects of ambient temperature variation and structural stress, thereby validating the accuracy of the dispersion analysis model.

▼ Application of High-Voltage Amplifier in Exciting a Single SH(0,1) Mode in Finite-Width Plates Using Piezoelectric Patches

This research focuses on the propagation characteristics of Shear Horizontal (SH) guided waves in finite-width plates, particularly the pure excitation of the SH(0,1) mode. By designing d24-type PZT transducers, the influence of transducer length (Lp) on the excitation effectiveness of the SH(0,1) mode is explored. Combined with simulations and experiments, its feasibility for applications such as high-temperature wall thickness monitoring is evaluated.

▼ Application of High-Voltage Amplifier in Full Wavefield Corrosion Imaging Using Ultrasonic Guided Waves

In this experiment, an arbitrary waveform generator is used to produce a 5-cycle 400 kHz sinusoidal pulse modulated by a Hanning window. The signal is further amplified by the ATA-2022B high-voltage amplifier to drive a PZT piezoelectric patch, generating ultrasonic guided waves. A laser Doppler vibrometer is used to record the full wavefield data of the ultrasonic guided waves on the specimen surface for signal processing and defect imaging.

▼ Application of High-Voltage Amplifier in Ultrasonic Guided Wave Signal Output Experiments on Straight Switch Rails

In this experiment, the straight switch rail is an engineering structure with a variable cross-section and non-standard geometry. The propagation characteristics of guided waves within it are highly complex. Even for a single guided wave mode, the amplitude distribution differs significantly at various cross-sections along the straight switch rail. By inputting high-energy guided wave signals via a power amplifier, the experiment tested the variation patterns of wave amplitude distribution and dispersion characteristics during the propagation of a single mode in the straight switch rail. The rainbow trapping effect in the straight switch rail was observed for the first time.

More Application Case Sharing

Through years of accumulation, Aigtek has established its own application case library for power amplifiers, gathering cutting-edge experimental research results from advanced fields. This helps researchers better expand their ideas and achieve breakthroughs in innovation! More application cases for power amplifiers will be shared in the future. Stay tuned!