On ultrasound propagation in composite laminates: advances in numerical simulation

The growing use of composite materials for aerospace applications has resulted in the need for quantitative methods to analyze composite components. Ultrasonic guided waves constitute the physical approach for nondestructive evaluation (NDE) and structural health monitoring (SHM) of solid composite materials, such as carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates. Ultrasound based NDE methods are commonly used in the aerospace field, but ultrasonic wave behavior can be complicated by the presence of material anisotropy, complex geometries (e.g., highly curved parts, stiffeners, and joints) and complex geometry defects. Common defects occurring in aerospace composites include delaminations, porosity, and microcracking. Computational models of ultrasonic wave propagation in CFRP composites can be extremely valuable in designing practical NDE and SHM hardware, software, and methodologies that accomplish the desired accuracy, reliability, efficiency, and coverage. Physics based simulation tools that model ultrasonic wave propagation can aid in the development of optimized inspection methods and in the interpretation of NDE data. This paper presents a review of numerical methodologies for ultrasound and guided wave simulation in fiber reinforced composite laminates summarizing the relevant works to date, different methods, and their respective applications.