FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS TO EVALUATE WALL THINNED PIPE USING PVDF COMB TRANSDUCER

Conventional PVDF transducer has several advantages such as low production cost, easy to produce, fully contact on curved surface due to flexibility and generation of wideband signal. This also can be used for selective mode generation of guided wave when PVDF transducer is produced with the shape of comb type and tone burst instrument is utilized. Therefore, PVDF transducer has better eligibility for precise generation of guided wave mode than using PZT transducer with variable angle wedge. This study evaluated the signal characteristic of guided wave for wall thinned carbon steel pipe. Commercial FEM software was used to analyze mode characteristic of guided wave and the simulation result was compared with experimental result.