Generation of plate waves using electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) for defect detection in thin stain steel weld plate
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This paper presents a non-contact ultrasonic inspection technique based on an electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) to generate plate (Lamb) waves for defect detection in thin stainless steel weld plates. The design and operating principle of a meander-coil (MC) EMAT for the efficient generation of plate waves in thin plates are discussed. Experiments were carried out on a 2-mm-thick stainless steel weld plate using a MC EMAT at a low excitation frequency of 500 kHz. At this frequency, the MC EMAT generated the fundamental symmetric (S0) and antisymmetric (A0) plate wave modes. The propagation characteristics and mode identification were analyzed using dispersion curves developed for the 2-mm-thick stainless steel plate. The experimentally observed wave modes were correlated with the theoretically predicted phase and group velocities. Artificial defects introduced in the weld region were subsequently inspected using the generated plate wave modes. The defect responses were analyzed in both the time and frequency domains to evaluate their detectability and characteristic signal features.
Author: R. Dhayalan
Institution: Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research
Language: English
Subfield: Mechanics of Materials
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7222973818