Simulation of ultrasonic wave propagation in welds using ray-based methods

Austenitic or bimetallic welds are particularly difficult to control due to their anisotropic and inhomogeneous properties. In this paper, we present a ray-based method to simulate the propagation of ultrasonic waves in such structures, taking into account their internal properties. This method is applied on a smooth representation of the orientation of the grain in the weld. The propagation model consists in solving the eikonal and transport equations in an inhomogeneous anisotropic medium. Simulation results are presented and compared to finite elements for a distribution of grain orientation expressed in a closed-form.