Full-rank Imaging Detection of Multi-frames of Ultrasonic-guided Waves in Welded Structural Plate Based on Arc Sparse Array

Abstract The utilization of ultrasonic-guided wave array imaging in the detection of weld structural plates holds significant importance. This study presents a novel approach for full-rank imaging of shear horizontal (SH)-guided wave arc sparse arrays in welding structure imaging detection, The paper discusses the mechanism behind the ultrasonic-guided wave arc sparse array, specifically focusing on its full-rank imaging of multi-frames (FRIMR) capabilities in the presence of weld scattering. The receiving aperture of the arc sparse array is analyzed and discussed using the amplitude matrix and time-transition matrix. Both synthetic aperture and FRIMR of the arc sparse array are examined. The research findings demonstrate that FRIMR detection using ultrasonic-guided wave arc sparse array effectively captures scattering information equivalent to the wavelength size in the imaging detection area. This results in an average signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement of 39.2% in full-frame imaging compared to multi-frames imaging. The imaging experiment validates the feasibility of the proposed imaging principle, highlighting its potential for imaging detection of welded structures. The research presented in this paper serves as a crucial foundation for future studies and applications of array imaging detection using ultrasonic-guided waves in welded structural plates.