O presente trabalho objetiva um estudo de aplicação do Método dos Elementos de Contorno à análise de problemas de propagação de ondas eletromagnéticas. O Método baseia-se numa formulação integral que elimina todas as operações de integração em domínio, restando apenas as de contorno. Inicialmente faz-se um estudo dos fundamentos teóricos do método, apresentando-o de forma genérica e encaminhando sua aplicação à equação de Helmholtz. Os procedimentos computacionais desenvolvidos para a implementação do método viabilizam a solução eficiente de problemas de interesse, envolvendo diferentes meios com ou sem perdas. São apresentados resultados de simulações realizadas que confirmam a aplicabilidade do método, permitindo também uma análise de seu desempenho através da variação de parâmetros, como, por exemplo, número de elementos na discretização e função de interpolação. / This work deals with a study of application of the Boundary Element Method (BEM) directed to electromagnetic guided wave propagation. This method relies on an integral formulation that does not need any domain integration. Only boundary integrations have to be performed. The work begins with a study of the theoretical foundations of the method, presenting its general formulation and then directing it to Helmholtz’s equation solution. Developed computational procedures allow efficient application of the method to real problems with more than one medium, with or without losses. Simulations results are presented which confirm the applicability of the method and allow the analysis of its performance through parameters variation as, for example, the number of discretized elements and interpolation function.

Non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques are critical to ensure integrity and safety of engineered structures. Structural health monitoring (SHM) is considered as the next step in the field enabling continuous monitoring of structures. The first part of the thesis concerns NDT and SHM using guided waves in plates, or Lamb waves, to perform imaging of plate structures. The imaging is performed using a fixed active array setup covering a larger area of a plate. Current methods are based on conventional beamforming techniques that do not efficiently exploit the available data from the small arrays used for the purpose. In this thesis an adaptive signal processing approach based on the minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) method is proposed to mitigate issues related to guided waves, such as dispersion and the presence of multiple propagating modes. Other benefits of the method include a significant increase in resolution. Simulation and experimental results show that the method outperforms current standard processing techniques. The second part of the thesis addresses transducer design issues for resonant ultrasound inspections. Resonant ultrasound methods utilize the shape and frequency of the object's natural modes of vibration to detect anomalies. The method considered in the thesis uses transducers that are acoustically coupled to the inspected structures. Changes in the transducer's electrical impedance are used to detect defects. The sensitivity that can be expected from such a setup is shown to highly depend on the transducer resonance frequency, as well as the working frequency of the instrument. Through simulations and a theoretical argumentation, optimal conditions to achieve high sensitivity are given.

Ultrasonic guided wave imaging methods offer a cost-effective mechanism to perform in situ structural health monitoring (SHM) of large plate-like structures, such as commercial aircraft skins, ship hulls, storage tanks, and civil structures. However, current limits in imaging quality, environmental sensitivities, and implementation costs, among other things, are preventing widespread commercial adoption. The research presented here significantly advances state of the art guided wave imaging techniques using inexpensive, spatially distributed arrays of piezoelectric transducers. Novel adaptive imaging techniques are combined with in situ estimation and compensation of propagation parameters; e.g., dispersion curves and transducer transfer functions, to reduce sensitivity to unavoidable measurement inaccuracies and significantly improve resolution and reduce artifacts in guided wave images. The techniques can be used not only to detect and locate defects or damage, but also to characterize the type of damage. The improved ability to detect, locate, and now characterize defects or damage using a sparse array of ultrasonic transducers is intended to assist in the establishment of in situ guided wave imaging as a technically and economically viable tool for long-term monitoring of plate-like engineering structures.

Structural health monitoring (SHM) is concerned with the continuous, long-term assessment of structural integrity. One commonly investigated SHM technique uses guided ultrasonic waves, which travel through the structure and interact with damage. Measured signals are then analyzed in software for detection, estimation, and characterization of damage. One common configuration for such a system uses a spatially-distributed array of fixed piezoelectric transducers, which is inexpensive and can cover large areas. Typically, one or more sets of prerecorded baseline signals are measured when the structure is in a known state, with imaging methods operating on differences between follow-up measurements and these baselines. Presented here is a new class of SHM spatially-distributed array algorithms that rely on sparse reconstruction. For this problem, damage over a region of interest (ROI) is considered to be sparse. Two different techniques are demonstrated here. The first, which relies on sparse reconstruction, uses an a priori assumption of scattering behavior to generate a redundant dictionary where each column corresponds to a pixel in the ROI. The second method extends this concept by using multidimensional models for each pixel, with each pixel corresponding to a "block" in the dictionary matrix; this method does not require advance knowledge of scattering behavior. Analysis and experimental results presented demonstrate the validity of the sparsity assumption. Experiments show that images generated with sparse methods are superior to those created with delay-and-sum methods; the techniques here are shown to be tolerant of propagation model mismatch. The block-sparse method described here also allows the extraction of scattering patterns, which can be used for damage characterization.

Les moteurs thermoacoustiques sont des oscillateurs autonomes constitués d'un résonateur acoustique partiellement occupé par un matériau poreux (stack) soumis à un important gradient de température grâce à un apport de chaleur externe. Lorsque le gradient de température imposé le long du stack devient supérieur à un certain gradient critique, appelé seuil de déclenchement, l'interaction fluide-parois se traduit par l'amplification d'une onde acoustique auto-entretenue de fort niveau sur le mode le plus instable du résonateur. L'objet des travaux présentés dans ce mémoire est double. D'une part, il est de proposer un formalisme pour la description du fonctionnement de moteurs thermoacoustiques facilement généralisable à l'ensemble de ces systèmes, qu'ils soient à ondes stationnaires ou à ondes progressives. D'autre part, il est de proposer une approche expérimentale pour la caractérisation du noyau thermoacoustique (incluant le stack et la portion de guide inhomogène en température), qui permette de décrire le comportement de systèmes thermoacoustiques sans formuler d'hypothèses sur la forme du champ de température ou la géométrie du stack.Une modélisation analytique des conditions marginales de stabilité et du taux d'amplification de l'onde est tout d'abord proposée, basée sur l'écriture des matrices de transfert des différents éléments qui constituent le moteur. Ces matrices de transfert associées aux conditions aux limites du système étudié conduisent à une équation caractéristique dont la forme dépend de la géométrie de moteur considérée. La solution de cette équation est une pulsation acoustique complexe dont la partie imaginaire correspond au coefficient d'amplification thermoacoustique.La mesure de la matrice de transfert du noyau thermoacoustique constitue la partie expérimentale des travaux exposés. Elle est réalisée pour différentes conditions de chauffage au moyen d'une méthode à quatre microphones. Dans un premier temps, les résultats expérimentaux sont introduits dans le modèle développé précedemment pour prédire le seuil de déclenchement de divers moteurs thermoacoustiques équipés de ce noyau. Les résultats obtenus grâce à cette méthode sont très proches des observations expérimentales, validant ainsi le banc de mesure et le modèle décrivant les conditions de stabilité. Dans un second temps, les données expérimentales sont utilisées pour affiner un modèle analytique décrivant les mécanismes couplés de propagation acoustique et de transport de la chaleur dans le noyau thermoacoustique : ceci permet notamment d'ajuster les valeurs de paramètres acoustiques et thermiques au moyen d'une méthode inverse.Au-delà du seuil de déclenchement, l'amplification et la saturation de l'onde résultent pour une bonne part du transport de chaleur thermoacoustique et de la convection forcée liée à la génération d'un écoulement redressé (vent acoustique), ces deux mécanismes étant généralement responsables d'une dynamique d'évolution complexe de l'amplitude de pression acoustique au cours du régime transitoire. La dernière partie de ces travaux est consacrée à l'introduction de ces deux effets dans le modèle décrit ci-avant, donnant ainsi accès à la description du régime transitoire de l'onde. Une modélisation simplifiée des transports de chaleur associés au vent acoustique de Rayleigh est notamment proposée, qui permet de montrer que cet effet joue vraisemblablement un rôle important dans la dynamique des régimes transitoires observés expérimentalement dans un générateur thermoacoustique quart d'onde. / Thermoacoustic engines are autonomous oscillators generally made of an acoustic resonator, partially filled with a porous material (stack) submitted to a strong, externally supplied, temperature gradient. When the imposed temperature gradient along the stack becomes larger than a critical value, called the onset threshold, the interaction between the fluid and the solid plates leads to a high-level self-sustained acoustic wave at the frequency of the most unstable mode of the resonator. The purpose of the work presented in this report can be separated into two parts. On the one hand, a theoretical modelling is proposed for the description of thermoacoustic engines, which is derived for standing-wave thermoacoustic systems as well as for travelling-wave systems. On the other hand, an experimental approach is proposed for the characterisation of the thermoacoustic core (corresponding to the stack and the thermal buffer tube), allowing to describe the behaviour of thermoacoustic systems without making any assumptions concerning the shape of the temperature profile or the stack geometry. An analytical network modelling of thermoacoustic engines is proposed for the calculation of the threshold conditions and the amplification rate of the acoustic wave. The transfer matrices, combined with appropriate boundary conditions, lead to the derivation of the characteristic equation of the system. The solution of this equation is a complex angular frequency whose imaginary part represents the thermoacoustic amplification coefficient.The experimental part of this work consists in measuring the transfer matrix of the thermoacoustic core. This is realized for several heat supply conditions, by means of a four-microphones method. First, these experimental results are used for the prediction of onset conditions of standard thermoacoustic engines equipped with the thermoacoustic core. The results obtained with this method are very close to the experimental observations, which allow to judge of the consistency of the experimental apparatus and of the model describing the stability conditions. Second, the experimental datas are used in order to fit an analytical model describing the coupled mechanisms of acoustic propagation and heat transfers in the thermoacoustic core : this allows to estimate the values of acoustic and thermal parameters using an inverse method.Beyond the onset threshold, the amplification and saturation of the wave essentially result from the thermoacoustic heat flux and the convection coming from the generation of a mass flow (acoustic streaming). Both these mechanisms are generally responsible of complicated dynamics for the transient acoustic pressure amplitude. The last part of this work is dedicated to the introduction of both these effects in the previously described model, which leads to the calculation of the transient regime. A simplified modelling of Rayleigh streaming enhanced heat transfers is proposed, which allows to show that this effect may play an important role in the transient dynamics observed in an experimental quarter-wavelength thermoacoustic engine.

[pt] Ondas ultrassônicas guiadas são usadas em larga escala em ensaios não destrutivos (END) e Structural Health Monitoring (SHM), permitindo a inspeção de estruturas e equipamentos de forma não invasiva. A partir da transmissão de um sinal acústico sobre uma estrutura e a captação dos sinais de onda propagados por meio de sensores posicionados estrategicamente, é possível obter informações materiais do objeto inspecionado. Na área de óleo e gás, o uso desse tipo de ondas acústicas é de grande importância no levantamento do perfil da camada de cimento que reveste poços, que tem função de conferir integridade estrutural e isolar a estrutura interna de produção do poço das regiões freáticas do entorno. No processo de desativação e abandono do poço, é fundamental avaliar a qualidade do isolamento hidráulico do cimento, assim como identificar possíveis defeitos. A propagação de ondas guiadas em uma estrutura se dá, em geral, por meio de múltiplos modos e apresenta característica dispersiva, que se traduz numa dependência da velocidade de fase das ondas com a frequência, e uma relação não linear entre número de onda e frequência. A relação de dispersão carrega informações do meio de propagação, tal como constantes elásticas e dimensões, e pode ser visualizada a partir de curvas no plano frequência-número de onda (f-k). Diferentes técnicas vêm sendo exploradas para a obtenção das relações de dispersão a partir de sinais no domínio do tempo captados por sensores ultrassônicos em posições espaciais distintas. Este trabalho explora três métodos distintos para a extração das curvas de dispersão, ou seja, obter os pontos f-k associados aos modos de propagação, a partir de um conjunto de sinais dependentes do espaço-tempo. O primeiro algoritmo se baseia em uma técnica pré-existente que usa uma Transformada de Fourier bidimensional (2-D FT) sobre a matriz de dados de sinais de sensores ultrassônicos no espaço-tempo, gerando uma matriz de amplitudes no plano f-k onde os máximos locais representam pontos pertencentes a curvas de dispersão. A representação da matriz como uma imagem f-k permite a visualização das curvas de dispersão como conjuntos contíguos de pixels de maior claridade. Propõe-se um novo algoritmo baseado em operações morfológicas de processamento de imagem para a identificação de pixels relativos aos pontos das curvas de dispersão na imagem f-k, após um préprocessamento da mesma. A segunda técnica consiste no pré-processamento dessa mesma imagem f-k, obtida pela 2-D FT, e uso de um algoritmo préexistente de detecção de estruturas curvilíneas em imagens para identificar os pontos correspondentes às curvas f-k. O terceiro método é uma adaptação, proposta aqui, de um algoritmo pré-existente para estimar os números de onda das curvas de dispersão relativos a cada frequência através de uma matriz Pencil. Propõe-se também um algoritmo original para a separação dos pontos f-k encontrados pelas três técnicas de extração em curvas distintas. Os algoritmos utilizados para a obtenção das curvas de dispersão têm seu desempenho avaliado em três conjuntos de dados distintos de simulações por elementos finitos, a saber, uma de placa de alumínio fina sob distintos valores de tração axial aplicada paralelamente à direção de propagação das ondas; um poço multicamada sem tubing possuindo diferentes tipos de defeito de cimentação-channeling, qualidade de cimento baixa, descolamento interno e externo -, assim como sem defeito; e um pouco multicamada com tubing sob os mesmos defeitos de cimentação e também sem defeito. Compara-se a capacidade dos algoritmos de extração das curvas de dispersão de oferecer informações sobre mudanças materiais entre os casos simulados. Avalia-se também a precisão e custo computacional dos mesmos. / [en] Ultrasonic guided waves are widely used in the fields of Non-Destructive Evaluation (END) and Structural Health Monitoring (SHM), allowing the inspection of structures and pieces of equipment in a non-invasive manner. Through the transmission of an acoustic signal over a given object and the acquisition of the signal from the propagated waves using a group of sensors in predefined positions, it is possible to obtain material information regarding the investigated structure. In the Oil & Gas industry, the use of this type of wave is integral to the logging of the cement layer that outlines the walls of wellbores, which has the purpose of guaranteeing structural support and protecting the well’s internal production structure and the surrounding groundwater from each other. During the deactivation and abandonment of a production well, it is necessary to evaluate the hydraulic isolation of the cement layer, as well as identify possible defects. The propagation of guided waves in a structure is usually multi-modal and of dispersive characteristic. The latter means that the propagating waves phase velocity is dependent on the frequency, translating into a non-linear relationship between wavenumber and frequency. This dispersion relation contains information about the propagating medium, such as elastic constants and dimensions, and can be represented as curves in the frequency-wavenumber (f-k) plane. Different methods are currently being explored for obtaining the dispersion relation from time-domain signals acquired by ultrasonic sensors in different spatial positions. This work explored three different methods for the extraction of the dispersion curves, that is, obtaining the f-k points associated with the modes of propagation, from a dataset composed of space-time signals. The first algorithm is based on a pre-existing technique that uses the bidimensional Fourier Transform (2-D FT) over the matrix containing the space-time signals from the ultrasonic sensors, generating an f-k matrix whose local maximas correspond to points belonging to dispersions curves. The representation of the matrix as an f-k image shows the dispersion curves as contiguous groups of pixels with elevated brightness. A new algorithm is proposed, based on morphological operations from image-processing, to identify the pixels relative to the f-k points of the dispersion curves in the image, after pre-processing is performed. The second technique consists of pre-processing the same fk image, obtained from the 2-D FT, and the use of an existing algorithm for the detection of curvilinear structures in images to identify the points corresponding to the f-k curves. The third method proposes the adaptation of an existing method of estimation of the wavenumbers associated with the dispersion curves for different frequencies, using a matrix Pencil. This work also proposes an original algorithm to separate the f-k points, retrieved by the three techniques, in different curves associated with each mode of propagation. The algorithms used here for the estimation of the dispersion curves are evaluated over three distinct datasets of finite elements simulation: a thin aluminum plate under different values of axial traction parallel to the direction of propagation of the waves; a multilayer wellbore without tubing, with different types of cement defects-channeling, low cement quality, internal and external decoupling-, and without defect; a multilayer wellbore with tubing with the same cement defects and with no defect. Finally, a comparison is drawn over the capacity of the extraction algorithms of providing information regarding changes in the material qualities of the simulated objects. The work also evaluates the precision and computational performance of the aforementioned algorithms.

[pt] Ondas ultrassônicas do tipo SH (do inglês, shear horizontal), ou de cisalhamento horizontal são úteis no campo de ensaios não-destrutivos. Essas podem ser geradas, em meios metálicos, por transdutores acústicos eletromagnéticos (EMAT) que utilizam um arranjo de ímãs permanentes periódicos (PPM), chamados de EMATs PPM. Tais dispositivos em sua forma convencional, entretanto, geram ondas ultrassônicas bidirecionalmente, ou seja, para frente e para trás. Essa característica é geralmente indesejada. Recentemente, foi proposto um EMAT tipo PPM duplo com separação lateral que gera ondas nominalmente em uma única direção. Entretanto, seu diagrama de radiação revela lóbulos traseiros laterais. Esta dissertação tem como objetivo aprimorar o supracitado projeto através de seus parâmetros de construção, mais especificamente, o número de fileiras de ímãs permanentes do arranjo PPM e a separação lateral entre as mesmas. Foi desenvolvido um modelo analítico, baseado em linhas de fontes lineares, que considera a projeção de cada espira como uma fonte harmônica independente, para cálculo do campo ultrassônico gerado por EMATs PPM, tanto os do tipo PPM duplo, quanto o convencional. Com isso, foi possível obter o digrama de radiação teórico dos dispositivos, de forma a analisar como os seus parâmetros de construção interferem em sua unidirecionalidade. Utilizou-se três tecnologias distintas de bobinas, a saber, bobinas fabricadas manualmente, bobinas fabricadas a partir de placas de circuito impresso (PCB) flexível de poliamida e PCB flexível de poliéster. Os arranjos PPM duplos foram colocados sobre moldes impressos em impressora 3D. Realizou-se testes experimentais em uma placa de alumínio 1.5 mm de espessura, com EMAT PPM comercial utilizado como receptor, em diversos ângulos, com o objetivo de calcular o diagrama de radiação experimental do EMAT PPM duplo. Ao todo foram montadas 44 unidades quando combinadas todas as tecnologias de fabricação de bobina, com separação lateral de 1 mm a 4 mm e 1 a 4 de fileiras de ímãs. Resultados experimentais e teóricos mostraram boa concordância. Foi observado que tanto aumentar o número de fileiras de ímãs, quanto diminuir a sua separação lateral reduzem a intensidade dos lóbulos traseiros laterais. Resultados experimentais mostraram que, com a configuração de 4 fileiras de ímãs, separados lateralmente por 1 mm e bobinas feitas a partir de PCB de poliamida, a intensidade dos lóbulos traseiros laterais foi reduzida em 8.6 dB, em relação à configuração original do PPM EMAT duplo . Sobre as tecnologias de bobina, pode-se concluir que o uso de PCBs flexíveis tornou possível obter menores separações laterais entre as fileiras de ímãs e simplificar o processo de construção do EMAT PPM duplo, com destaque para a bobina feita com PCB flexível de poliamida, que apresentou baixo erro médio entre medidas experimentais e simuladas, apresentando também o mais fácil processo de fabricação entre os três tipos de bobinas avaliados. / [en] Shear horizontal (SH) ultrasonic waves are useful in the non-destructive evaluation field. They can be generated, in metallic media, by electromagnetic acoustic transducers (EMAT) that use an array of periodic permanent magnets (PPM). PPM EMATs, in their conventional form, generate forward and backward traveling SH waves. This feature is generally undesired. Recently, a side-shifted dual-PPM EMAT has been proposed. This device generates waves predominantly in a single direction. However, its radiation pattern reveals backward side lobes. This thesis aims to improve the aforementioned design through its construction parameters, more specifically, the number of rows of magnets in the PPM array and the lateral separation between them. An analytical model, based on the line source method, which considers the wires projections as independent wave sources, was developed to calculate the ultrasonic field generated by PPM EMATs, either for the conventional one or the dual-PPM EMAT. Exploiting the developed model, it was possible to compute the theoretical radiation pattern of the device in order to better analyse how its construction parameters affect its unidirectionality. Three different coil technologies were used, namely hand-wound coils and coils made with flexible printed circuit boards (PCBs), either of polyamide or polyester material. The magnet arrays were mounted on 3D-printed molds to ensure their positioning. Experimental tests were carried out where the fabricated device was placed onto a 1.5 mm-thick aluminum plate, and a commercial PPM EMAT was used as a receiver, at different reception angles, in order to calculate the radiation pattern of the dual-PPM EMAT. Overall, 44 units, combining all coil technologies, were manufactured with lateral separation from 1 mm to 4 mm and 1 to 4 rows of magnets per PPM. Experiments and theoretical results presented good agreement. It was observed that either increasing the number of rows of magnets or decreasing their lateral separation reduced the intensity of the backward side lobes. When using the configuration of 4 rows of magnets and 1 mm side shift, fabricated with polyamide PCBs, results revealed that the intensity of the backward side lobes was reduced by 8.6 dB, when compared with the original configuration. Regarding the coil technologies, it can be concluded that the use of flexible PCBs allowed one to obtain shorter lateral separations between rows of magnets and simplified the fabrication process of the dual-EMAT. Mainly, the poliamide-based flexible PCB coil presented low average error between experimental and simulated measurements and the easiest fabrication process among all three coil technologies tested.

Ce manuscrit présente une méthode d’imagerie quantitative et sans état de référence, de défauts de corrosion d’une plaque mince, exploitant de manière passive un réseau embarqué de capteurs d’ondes élastiques guidées. Les applications visées sont le contrôle santé intégré (SHM) de structures critiques qui amènent de fortes contraintes à la fois d’intrusivité des capteurs et de fiabilité du diagnostic. Une solution prometteuse, permettant de multiplier la densité de points de mesure sans augmenter l’intrusivité du système, est offerte par les réseaux de Bragg sur fibre optique (FBG). Toutefois, contrairement aux transducteurs piézoélectriques (PZT) classiquement employés en SHM, les FBG ne permettent pas d’émettre d’ondes élastiques. L’idée consiste à utiliser des méthodes dites « passives » permettant de retrouver la fonction de Green entre deux capteurs à partir du bruit ambiant, naturellement présent dans la structure, mesuré simultanément entre ces deux capteurs. Nous étudions dans ce manuscrit deux méthodes passives : la corrélation de bruit et le filtre inverse passif. Nous verrons que ce dernier a plus de potentiel lorsqu’il est couplé à l’imagerie par tomographie. Différents algorithmes de tomographie sont évalués par simulation numérique puis lors d’expériences comparatives actives et passives à l’aide d’un réseau de PZT. Afin de rendre la tomographie passive robuste, nous présentons une méthode clé de détection de temps de vol, basée sur une représentation temps-fréquence. Enfin, nous décrivons une première démonstration expérimentale de mesures passives par FBG qui laisse à penser que la tomographie passive par FBG est prometteuse. / This manuscript presents a baseline-free quantitative method for the imaging of corrosion flaws present in thin plates. This method only requires an embedded guided waves sensors network in a fully passive way. The field ofapplications are Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) of critical structures with heavy constrains on both sensors intrusiveness and diagnostic reliability. A promising solution allowing to increase the number of measurement points without increasing the intrusiveness of the system is provided by the Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs). However, unlike piezoelectric transducers generally used in SHM, the FBGs cannot emit elastic waves. The idea consists in using passive methods in order to retrieve the Green function from elastic diffuse fields - naturally present in structures - measured simultaneously between two sensors. In this manuscript, two passive methods are studied: the ambient noise correlation and the passive inverse filter. It is shown that the latter gives better results when coupled with tomography. Several tomography algorithms are assessed with numerical simulations and then applied to active and passive datasets measured by a PZT network. In order to make passive tomography robust, a time of flight identification method is proposed, based on a time-frequency representation. Finally, a novel experimental demonstration of passive measurements with FBGs only is presented, suggesting high potential for FBGs passive tomography.

This thesis fills in the gaps in the existing theory of wave phenomena in thick diffraction gratings at extreme angles of scattering, i.e. when the scattered wave propagates parallel or almost parallel to the grating boundaries. A consistent theory of a new type of Bragg scattering of bulk and guided optical modes in thick uniform and non-uniform, dissipative and non-dissipative, slanted periodic gratings has been developed. This type of scattering is called extremely asymmetrical scattering (EAS). One of the main distinctive features of EAS is the strong resonant increase of the scattered wave amplitude compared to the amplitude of the incident wave. Several unique combinations of strong resonances shaping a complex multi-resonant pattern of EAS in different types of gratings have been predicted and investigated theoretically and numerically. This includes the prediction of a new resonant wave effect in non-uniform gratings with varying phase – double-resonant EAS, the discovery of several sharp and strong resonances with respect to scattering angle in gratings with the scattered wave propagating almost parallel to the grating boundaries (grazing-angle scattering (GAS)) for the case of second-order scattering, and the prediction of a new type of eigenmode in gratings with second-order scattering (especially in gratings with large amplitude). In addition, several other important practical problems that may be crucial for the experimental observation and application of EAS and GAS have been solved. These are the determination of the tolerance of EAS to small grating imperfections, e.g., fluctuations of the grating amplitude, prediction of unusually high sensitivity of second-order EAS to small variations of mean structural parameters, determination of the effect of weak dissipation on EAS, etc. Physical reasons for the predicted resonances and effects are explained. In particular, the crucial role of the diffractional divergence for EAS and GAS has been revealed, especially for non-uniform gratings. Methods of analysis involve the approximate and rigorous approaches. The approximate method is based on understanding the role of the diffractional divergence in the geometry of EAS and the two-wave approximation (valid for any types of waves). The rigorous approach is based on the rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA) and, in particular, the known enhanced T-matrix algorithm (by Moharam, et al.) that is numerically stable for narrow and wide gratings with arbitrary amplitude (valid only for bulk electromagnetic waves).

Κίνητρο της παρούσας διατριβής αποτέλεσε η αποτίμηση της δομικής ακεραιότητας κελυφοειδών κατασκευών από σύνθετα υλικά που παρουσιάζουν ανοχή στη βλάβη, με τη χρήση ακουστικών τεχνικών μη καταστροφικού ελέγχου. Στόχος ήταν η πειραματική και θεωρητική μελέτη επίδρασης της αστοχίας, που αναπτύσσεται σε μια πολύστρωτη μετά από φόρτιση, σε μετρήσιμα χαρακτηριστικά της κυματικής διάδοσης. Χωρίζεται σε δύο τμήματα, στη μοντελοποίηση της βλάβης και στη μελέτη επίδρασης αυτής στην κυματική διάδοση. Η έρευνα εστιάστηκε σε μορφές αστοχίας που συναντώνται σε πολύστρωτες υπό επίπεδη εντατική κατάσταση και συσσωρεύεται κατά το πάχος τους στη διάρκεια φόρτισης. Για την προσομοίωση της δημιουργήθηκαν διαφορετικά μηχανικά μοντέλα. Έμφαση δόθηκε στην προσέγγιση της συμπεριφοράς του υλικού υπό μονότονη στατική φόρτιση. Γι’ αυτό αναπτύχθηκε ένα φαινομενολογικό πρότυπο προοδευτικής αστοχίας για gl/ep πολύστρωτες. Η δομή του στηρίχθηκε σε τέσσερις πυλώνες. Πρώτον στην πειραματική διαδικασία χαρακτηρισμού μηχανικών ιδιοτήτων της μονοαξονικής στρώσης, ως το βασικό δομικό υλικό μιας πολύστρωτης. Ο ενδελεχής χαρακτηρισμός του υλικού σπάνια συναντάται σε τέτοια έκταση. Δεύτερον από τις δοκιμές προέκυψαν οι καταστατικές εξισώσεις της στρώσης. Η προσέγγιση της ανισότροπης μη – γραμμικότητας του υλικού έγινε με βηματική, γραμμική ανά βήμα, τασική ανάλυση στο επίπεδο της στρώσης χρησιμοποιώντας εφαπτομενική ελαστικότητα. Ο τρίτος πυλώνας αφορά στον προσδιορισμό έναρξης αστοχίας. Υιοθετήθηκαν κριτήρια ευρείας αποδοχής στο σχεδιασμό με σύνθετα υλικά, όπως π.χ. του Puck, των Shokrieh και Lessard κ.α., προτείνοντας και έναν νέο συνδυασμό τους. Τέλος, στρατηγικές υποβάθμισης των μηχανικών ιδιοτήτων της στρώσης προσομοίωσαν το αποτέλεσμα της συσσώρευσης αστοχίας μετά την έναρξή της. Το πρότυπο προοδευτικής αστοχίας ενσωματώθηκε σε στοιχείο κελύφους εμπορικού κώδικα πεπερασμένων στοιχείων. Ακολούθησε αξιολόγηση του, συγκρίνοντας τα αριθμητικά αποτελέσματα με πλειάδα μονοαξονικών και πρωτότυπων διαξονικών πειραμάτων. Η διαδικασία αυτή οδήγησε αφενός στην σημαντική για τον σχεδιασμό παρατήρηση εξάρτησης του μέτρου διάτμησης από το υπάρχον επίπεδο εντατικό πεδίο και αφετέρου στην εξέλιξη του προτύπου ώστε παρά τον περιορισμό των καταστατικών εξισώσεων που το διέπουν να μπορεί να προσομοιώσει τη διαστρωματική αποκόλληση. Έχοντας αναπτύξει τα εργαλεία περιγραφής της βλάβης, η διατριβή ολοκληρώνεται με τη μελέτη δομικής ακεραιότητας, χρησιμοποιώντας τη μη – καταστροφική τεχνική των ακουστό - υπέρηχων. Παρουσιάζεται το πειραματικό και θεωρητικό υπόβαθρο της διάδοσης τασικών κυμάτων σε κελύφη. Πρότυπα πολύστρωτων που υπέστησαν αριθμητική βλάβη υποβλήθηκαν σε αριθμητικές μη – καταστροφικές δοκιμές, καταλήγοντας σε συμπεράσματα όπως π.χ. τη μείωση της φασικής ταχύτητας με τη συσσώρευση βλάβης. / The motivation for the present research was the integrity estimation of shell – like structures made of damage tolerant composite materials, using acoustic non destructive testing techniques. An experimental and theoretical study was held aiming to investigate the influence of the damage, accumulated in a loaded laminate, in measurable wave propagation characteristics. The thesis is separated in two major parts. One described with detail the damage simulation model and the other the damage effects on the wave propagation and the wave mechanics. The study was focused on damage modes developed in composite laminates under in – plane complex stress fields due to several loading conditions and various mechanical models were developed for simulation purposes. Emphasis was given in the description of the material performance under monotonic static loading. Thus, a phenomenological progressive damage model for gl/ep multiaxial laminates was developed. This was structured based on four pillars. Primarily, as the laminate basic building block, the unidirectional layer was mechanically characterized. Such an extended experimental procedure can hardly be found. Secondly, the test results defined the ply constitutive equation laws. The highly anisotropic material non – linearity was approximated with piece – wise linear incremental layer by layer stress analysis using tangential elasticity. The third pillar regarded the damage initiation conditions. Thus, well defined criteria widely accepted in composite design were implemented i.e. Puck, Shokrieh and Lessard, etc. Finally post failure strategies were deployed, simulating material mechanical properties degradation emerging during damage accumulation. The progressive damage model was incorporated in a shell element of a commercial finite element code. An extended validation procedure took place comparing numerical results with several uniaxial and innovative biaxial test data. During this procedure the G12 shear modulus dependence on the developed plane stress field was thoroughly studied, resulting in recommendations for the designer and the selection of the appropriate modulus value. Additionally, the material model was further enhanced, taking into account incompatible failures with its constitutive equations e.g. delamination. Having developed several tools that described damage existence or accumulation, this dissertation was finished with the structural integrity study, using the acousto – ultrasonics non destructive testing technique. The experimental and theoretical background for stress wave propagation in waveguides was presented. Numerically damaged material models were additionally inspected with numerical non – destructive tests, resulting in specific conclusions for damage effect on measurable wave propagation characteristics, e.g. phase velocity reduction with damage growth.