The low-frequency reflection and scattering of the S0 Lamb mode from a circular through-thickness hole in a plate:: Finite Element, analytical and experimental studies

A study of the interaction of the So Lamb wave with a circular through-thickness hole in a plate is presented. The study is limited to the nondispersive frequency range, of this wave, in which the distributions of stress and displacement are simple. This allows a Finite Element analysis to be undertaken using a two-dimensional membrane discretization. Predictions of the direct reflection of the S-0 mode and the lateral scattering of the SH0 mode are made for a range of diameters of the hole. At the same time, an analytical solution based on modal superposition is developed, and this is also used to predict the reflection and scattering coefficients. Both sets of predictions are validated by experimental measurements. It, is found that the trends of the reflection coefficients for different hole diameters, frequencies and distances from the hole satisfy a simple normalization. On a detailed scale, the functions exhibit undulations which are shown to result from the interference of the direct reflection with secondary reflections which arrive slightly later. (C) 2002 Acoustical Society of America.