Evaluation of Methods for Focussing Elastic Waves in Leading Edge Structures

PurposeAircraft wings and lifting surfaces must remain ice-free during flight to maintain aerodynamic performance and ensure safety. Conventional de-icing systems, such as engine bleed air and thermal methods, are effective but highly energy-intensive, motivating the development of low-energy alternatives based on mechanical shock or vibration. A recently proposed approach demonstrated ice-substitute delamination from a beam by inducing a localized shock response through spatiotemporal focusing of elastic waves using a single actuator; however, this method requires prior knowledge of wave dispersion characteristics. This study compares different wave focusing techniques and extends their application to a semi-cylindrical structure representative of an aircraft wing leading edge, with the aim of quantifying the benefits of dispersion compensation on localized shock response.MethodsA semi-analytical finite element (SAFE) model was developed to predict dispersion relations and transient forced responses of the semi-cylindrical structure, forming the foundation for a systematic evaluation of time-reversal and related techniques. A parametric study examined the effects of excitation bandwidth, propagation distance, and structural damping on focusing performance. Performance was quantified using two amplification metrics based on peak amplitude and signal power.ResultsThe results demonstrate that dispersion compensation significantly enhances localized responses, with one-bit and clipped time-reversal techniques producing the highest focal amplitudes. The proposed amplification metrics indicate that, under suitable conditions, wave focusing can outperform conventional harmonic and tone-burst excitation responses. These findings highlight dispersion compensation as an effective strategy for energy localization, support the advancement of low-energy de-icing technologies, and provide broader insights into wave-focusing strategies in dispersive media relevant to acoustics and vibration engineering applications.