Acoustic emission source localization in arbitrary anisotropic plates: Equation error and Bayesian inference approaches

In this paper, we propose two new approaches for acoustic emission (AE) source localization in highly anisotropic plates without the need for apriori knowledge of their material properties or the orientation of the axes of symmetry. These approaches, namely the equation error approach (EEA) and Bayesian inference approach (BIA), offer significant improvements over the latest wavefront shape-based techniques reported in the literature. In particular, the EEA requires constrained optimization of only two parameters, eliminating the reliance on initial guess quality. The BIA, on the other hand, provides the added advantage of uncertainty quantification for the predicted source locations, enhancing the reliability of the results. In the work presented here, the effectiveness of the two proposed approaches is investigated first using idealized data, followed by numerical studies involving models of plates with varying degrees of anisotropy. Additionally, experimental validation of the approaches is presented. The results show that both the EEA and BIA are well-suited for practical applications of AE source localization in anisotropic plates. • Two new AE source localization approaches for anisotropic plates are proposed. • They do not require knowledge of the plate’s material properties or symmetry axes. • The methods improve on the latest wavefront shape-based techniques. • The effectiveness of the methods was analyzed on plates with varying anisotropy. • Experimental validation of the proposed methods is presented.