Pattern recognition analysis of acoustic emission signals propagated through a waveguide - A simulation study

Pattern recognition (PR) analysis of acoustic emission (AE) signals for classifying the source mechanisms involved, is a widely accepted practice, if the signals are directly picked up from the test specimen. However, there is an apprehension for the same, when a waveguide (WG) is used to pickup the signals. In the present paper, the validity of PR analysis has been studied on burst AE signals even after their propagation through a WG, using a software routine for wave propagation in cylindrical rods, based on Pochhammer-Chree (PC) equations, developed by Seco F et al. 'PCDISP: a tool for the simulation of wave propagation in cylindrical waveguides', In: The 9th international congress on sound and vibration, in Orlando, Florida (2002). It is found that irrespective of the dimensions of the cylindrical WG, PR analysis can classify different source mechanisms. An experiment to support the simulation is also included.