Corrosion often occurs in the inner aluminum lining of the HB-53 helicopter external fuel tank, resulting in fuel leaks. This project centers on developing an in-situ ultrasonic inspection technique to detect corroded areas inside the fuel tank. Due to the complexity of the composite structure of the tank, the ultrasonic inspection is carried out from inside the tank using a monostatic backscattering technique. The backscattered field contains information related to the insonified surface properties (surface roughness scales). Numerical predictions are implemented with a simplified model of backscattered intensity (Ogilvy, 1991). Experimental results are obtained on artificially corroded plates, and on the actual fuel tank of the HB-53 helicopter. Signal processing techniques (Envelope Correlation and Inverse Technique) are used to detect corroded surfaces with data obtained with a focused 10 MHz pulsed transducer.

A Matlab numerical model for scattering simulation was proposed based on the solution derived from the Beckmann-Kirchhoff scalar theory of scattering of electromagnetic waves from rough surfaces. A series of various synthetic surface samples were obtained using the open source software Gwyddion on which numerical simulations of scattering were carried out. The validity of this numerical model was tested and compared with experimental results.

Abstract This study focuses on the development of a plate-shell element using the vector form intrinsic finite element (VFIFE) method to analyze the structural behavior of thin shell structure subjected to various exerting forces. The shell element employed here is the flat three-node triangular shell element proposed by Bathe and Ho, which is obtained by superimposing CST (constant strain triangle) element with DKT (discrete Kirchhoff theory) triangular plate element. The nodal coordinates, displacements, rotations, and the motion equations of the structure are defined in a fixed global set of coordinates. The strains of the shell element, the element internal nodal forces and the element stiffness matrix are defined in terms of co-rotational coordinates, which are corresponding to the configuration of the shell element. Based on the co-rotational coordinate principle, the nodal displacement between two adjacent time steps can be separated into displacements induced from rigid body motion or deformation, and the incremental internal nodal forces can also be obtained. Finally, following the Newton's 2nd law, the equations of motion can be built to analyze the dynamic responses of thin shell structures. The theory derived in this study, were further verified to be able to simulate the behavior of thin shell structures subjected to both static and dynamic loadings. This new analytical model was proved to be an effective tool that can be an alternertive to traditional finite element procedure to solve for complicated engineering problems in thin shell structures.

[pt] A formulação híbrida dos elementos finitos, proposta por Pian, com base no princípio variacional de Hellinger-Reissner, mostrou-se uma ótima alternativa para a construção de elementos finitos eficientes que atendessem a condições tanto de compatibilidade como de equilíbrio. O potencial de Hellinger-Reissner consiste na aproximação de dois campos: um campo tensões que satisfaz, a priori, as equações diferenciais homogêneas de equilíbrio do problema, e um campo de deslocamentos que atende a compatibilidade ao longo do contorno. O conjunto de funções não-singulares que satisfazem as equações governantes de um problema é conhecido como soluções fundamentais ou soluções de Trefftz, e é a base para a interpolação do campo de tensões no método híbrido de elementos finitos. O presente trabalho apresenta uma metodologia geral para a formulação de uma família de elementos finitos híbridos poligonais de membrana para problemas de elasticidade bidimensional, assim como elementos finitos híbridos simples e eficientes a para análise numérica de problemas de placa de Kirchhoff e Mindlin-Reissner. Algumas contribuições conceituais são introduzidas nas soluções fundamentais para a correta concepção dos elementos híbridos em problemas de placa espessa. O desempenho dos elementos é avaliado através de alguns exemplos numéricos, os quais os resultados são confrontados com os de outros elementos encontrados na literatura. / [en] The hybrid finite element formulation, proposed by Pian, on the basis of the Hellinger-Reissner variational principle, has proved to be a good alternative for the development of efficient finite elements that best attend compatibility and equilibrium conditions. The Hellinger-Reissner potential assumes two trial fields: a stress field that satisfies the equilibrium homogenous differential equation in the domain and a displacement field that attends the compatibility along the boundary. The set of nonsingular functions that satisfy the governing equations of the problem is known as Trefftz or fundamental solutions. This work presents a general methodology for the formulation of a family of polygonal hybrid elements for plane strain problems, as well as simple and efficient plate elements for the numerical evaluation of Kirchhoff and Mindlin-Reissner plate problems. Conceptual approaches are introduced for the correct use of fundamental solutions in the plate elements formulation. The performance of the proposed hybrid elements is assessed by means of several numerical examples from the literature.