Vibration-Based Damage Identification Using Wavelet Transform and a Numerical Model of Shearography

This paper presents a method for the identification of damage in plates based on the post-processing with wavelets of modal rotation fields. These modal rotation fields are obtained by use of a numerical model of shearography, which includes the simulation of noise in the data generated. The discrete wavelet transform was chosen because of its high sensitivity to perturbations in the modal rotations. Distinct damage scenarios, defined by regions where the thickness of a plate is reduced, are considered in this paper. A study on the differences in the natural frequencies and the changes in modal rotation fields due to the damage is carried out. The order of the B-spline wavelets used in the post-processing of the modal rotation fields is discussed. The damage detectability in terms of its intensity, the selected mode, and the type of rotation field and wavelet coefficient is also studied. Finally, a scheme for the damage detectability enhancement, in particular for multiple damage scenarios, is proposed.