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Ultrasonic 3D characterization of ply-level features in layered composites, such as out-of-plane wrinkles and ply drops, is now possible with carefully applied analytic-signal analysis. Study of instantaneous amplitude, phase and frequency in the ultrasonic response has revealed some interesting effects, which become more problematic for 3D characterization as the inter-ply resin-layer thicknesses increase. In modern particle-toughened laminates, the thicker resin layers cause phase singularities to be observed; these are locations where the instantaneous amplitude is zero, so the instantaneous phase is undefined. The depth at which these occur has been observed experimentally to vary with resin- layer thickness, such that a phase-singularity surface is formed; beyond this surface, the ultrasonic response is reduced and significantly more difficult to interpret, so a method for removing the effect would be advantageous. The underlying physics has been studied using an analytical one-dimensional multi-layer model. This has been sufficient to determine that the cause is linked to a phononic band gap in the ultrasound transmitted through multiple equally-spaced partial reflectors. As a result, the phase singularity also depends on input-pulse center frequency and bandwidth. Various methods for overcoming the confusing effects in the data have been proposed and subsequently investigated using the analytical model. This paper will show experimental and modelled evidence of phase-singularities and phase-singularity surfaces, as well as the success of methods for reducing their effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the shapes of composite components become more adventurous, tracking internal locations of ply drops and detecting any tape gaps or overlaps will be crucial to assure conformance to design. The true potential of ultrasound has yet to be exploited for this objective due to the apparent complexity of the ultrasonic response and the assumption that interference between signals from plies is random, confusing and of little use. As a result, most ultrasonic inspection of composites targets defects that either attenuate or reflect ultrasound, regarding ply reflections as undesirable 'noise'. The work presented here extends the ply-orientation mapping of the last two decades by introducing a systematic approach to optimizing the ultrasonic response from the plies, minimizing interference between plies and demonstrating that accurate maps of plies through ply-drop regions can be produced. The key to this method is understanding the ultrasonic analytic signal and how it interacts with plies and the resin-rich layers between them. In certain circumstances of frequency and bandwidth, the instantaneous phase locks onto the resin-rich layers and the instantaneous amplitude indicates the validity of this condition. Analytical modelling is used to explain the interaction between ultrasound and composite plies in various ply-drop scenarios, with reference to experimental results. Optimization of ultrasonic data acquisition is also discussed and demonstrated experimentally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]