Mode purification for multimode Lamb waves by shunted piezoelectric unimorph array

Guided wave-based nondestructive testing and structural health monitoring methods have been developed to exhibit attractive potentials and best prospects for rapid and sensitive detection of defects or damage in engineering structures. Different modes of guided waves can provide different sensitivities of damage detection. However, the multimode and mode conversion nature of guided waves poses significant challenges to mode purification of received signals. This study aims to design a metamaterial-based smart transducer for mode purification of Lamb waves in a plate, which can filter out an undesired mode of the Lamb wave to enhance sensing and actuating signals of a dominated mode. The smart transducer consists of a periodic array of shunted piezoelectric unimorphs with staggered polarization directions and is bonded on the surface of a host plate. Numerical and experimental results show that a local resonance bandgap for an anti-symmetric Lamb wave, rather than a symmetric Lamb wave, can be obtained and tuned through the shunting inductance circuit. Within such mode bandgap, the wave control for propagating a specific mode of the Lamb wave can be further realized, i.e., the mode of the Lamb wave is purified. The design presented herein offers enhanced capabilities in controlling guided wave propagation for engineering applications and nondestructive testing techniques.