Numerical simulation of ultrasonic guided waves using the Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method

The formulation of the Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method is applied for the computation of dispersion properties of ultrasonic guided waves. The cross-section of the waveguide is discretized in the Finite Element sense, while the direction of propagation is described analytically. A standard eigenvalue problem is derived to compute the wave numbers of propagating modes. This paper focuses on cylindrical waveguides, where only a straight line has to be discretized. Higher-order elements are utilized for the discretization. As examples, dispersion curves are computed for a homogeneous pipe and a layered cylinder.