Laser generation of lamb waves for defect detection: Experimental methods and finite element modeling

The propagation of Lamb waves generated by a pulsed laser beam in an aluminum sheet is modeled using finite element analysis, and the interaction with defects is studied and compared to experimental results. The ultrasonic Lamb waves are detected by an electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT). The frequency content of the received wave is shown to be enhanced when the generation point is situated directly over the defect in both the modeled and experimental cases. Time-frequency analysis using a Wigner transform has enabled individual modes to be identified.