Acoustic emission source location method and experimental verification for structures containing unknown empty areas

Abstract

Acoustic emission (AE) localization plays an important role in the prediction and control of potential hazardous sources in complex structures. However, existing location methods have less discussion on the presence of unknown empty areas. This paper proposes an AE source location method for structures containing unknown empty areas (SUEA). Firstly, this method identifies the shape, size, and location of empty areas in the unknown region by exciting the active AE sources and using the collected AE arrivals. Then, the unknown AE source can be located considering the identified empty areas. The lead break experiments were performed to verify the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed method. Five specimens were selected containing empty areas with different positions, shapes, and sizes. Results show the average location accuracy of the SUEA increased by 78% compared to the results of the existing method. It can provide a more accurate solution for locating AE sources in complex structures containing unknown empty areas such as tunnels, bridges, railroads, and caves in practical engineering.