SH type guided wave transducer based on Ca2Al2SiO7 piezoelectric crystal for high-temperature structure health monitoring

The development of high-temperature guided wave transducers for high-temperature structure health monitoring is of great interest in many aspects of industrial engineering. In this work, the zero-order shear horizontal (SH0) guided wave transducer was designed and analyzed based on the X-plate from Ca2Al2SiO7 (CAS) crystals. Furthermore, the excitation and reception performances were evaluated. It is determined from the finite element simulation that the CAS-based guided wave transducer can excite pure SH0 waves in a specific direction. Experimental results confirmed that pure SH0 waves could be achieved and received by the designed CAS-based transducer, which is in good agreement with the theoretical study. Strong SH0 wave signals were chosen at elevated temperatures, and a moderate signal-to-noise ratio >12 dB was realized at the high temperature of 600 °C, showing the advantages of a CAS-based transducer for high-temperature sensing application.