Elastic wave propagation in anisotropic spherical curved plates

Spherical plate-like structures are used in pressure vessels, spherical domes of power plants, and in many other industrial applications. For non-destructive evaluation of such spherical structures, the mechanics of elastic wave propagation in spherical curved plates must be understood. The current literature shows some valuable studies on Rayleigh surface wave propagation in isotropic solids with spherical boundaries. However, the guided wave propagation problem in an anisotropic spherical curved plate, which has not been studied before, is solved for the first time in this paper. The wave propagation, in both isotropic and anisotropic spherical curved plates, is investigated. The differential equations of motion and the stress-free boundary conditions on the inner and outer surfaces of a hollow sphere are approximately solved by a general solution technique. This solution technique was successfully utilized by the authors for solving the wave propagation problem in cylindrical plates, in their earlier works. Dispersion curves for spherical plates made of isotropic aluminum, steel, and anisotropic composite material are presented as well.