Higher harmonic generation of guided waves at delaminations in laminated composite beams

Detection and characterization of delamination damage are of great importance to the assurance of structural safety. This work investigates the potential of a baseline-free structural health monitoring technique based on higher harmonics resulting from the nonlinear interaction of guided wave and a delamination. The nonlinearity considered in this study arises from the clapping of the sub-laminates in the delaminated region, which generates contact acoustic nonlinearity. Both explicit finite element simulations and experimental tests are conducted on composite laminates containing a delamination of different sizes and at different through-thickness locations. The results show that the interaction between the fundamental asymmetric mode ( A₀) of guided wave and a delamination generates contact acoustic nonlinearity in the form of higher harmonics, which provides a good measure for identifying the existence of delaminations and determining their sizes in laminated composite beams. This new insight into the generation mechanisms of nonlinear higher order harmonics in composite laminates will enhance the detection and monitoring of damage in composite structures.