On the Use of Oblique Acoustic Leakage to Measure the Wavenumber Spectrum of Propagating Lamb Waves

Lamb waves propagating within a waveguide often have similar frequency content. If there are multiple Lamb wave modes with the same frequency content, the wavenumber spectrum can be used to distinguish between them. As a result, the wavenumber spectrum is an important tool for determining the modal content of signals. In this paper, we propose a new method for measuring wavenumber spectra that uses an air-coupled transducer for reception and Snell’s law instead of a fast-Fourier transform. The method employs an angular scan rather than a translational scan. The advantages and disadvantages of the method are discussed along with some suggestions for potential improvements. Finally, experimental results comparing the proposed method to a more conventional method, which used a PVDF transducer, demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method.