Laser induced Highly Nonlinear Solitary Waves for structural NDE

This paper describes the generation and propagation of highly nonlinear solitary waves (HNSWs) in a chain of steel beads excited by means of laser pulses. Ablative generation of mechanical stress was induced on the bead at one end of the chain in order to enhance the amplitude of the stress waves generated. Compared to the use of a mechanical striker, the laser-based generation of stress waves is fully non-contact and allows for the broadest energy spectrum. In this study the amplitude, duration, and velocity of the solitary waves propagating along the chain of beads as a function of the laser pulse energy is investigated. Moreover the application of HNSW as a pulse generator for the NDE of bulk structures is shown.