Nonlinear modulation technique for NDE with air-coupled ultrasound.

The present study is aimed at expanding flexibility and application area of nonlinear acoustic modulation (NAM-) technique by combining the benefits of noncontact ultrasound excitation (remote locating and imaging of defects) with sensitivity of nonlinear methods in a new air-coupled NAM-version. A pair of focused air-coupled transducers was used to generate and receive (high-frequency) longitudinal or flexural waves in plate-like samples. Low-frequency (LF-) vibrations were excited with a shaker or a loudspeaker. Temporal and spectral analysis of the output signal revealed an extremely efficient nonlinear amplitude modulation and multiple frequency side-bands for sound transmission and flexural wave propagation through cracked defects. On the contrary, a negligible modulation was observed for large and medium scale inclusions and material inhomogeneities (linear defects). A new subharmonic mode of the NAM was observed at high excitation levels. It was also shown for the first time that nonlinear vibrations of cracks resulted in radiation of a very high-order harmonics (well above 100) of the driving excitation in air that enabled imaging of cracks remotely by registration their highly nonlinear "acoustic emission" with air-coupled transducers.