Honarvar F., Enjilela E., Sinclair A.

The problem of propagation of flexural guided waves in infinite, homogeneous, transversely isotropic circular cylinders is studied within the framework of the linear three-dimensional theory of elasticity. For solving the equations of motion, the displacement field is expressed in terms of three perpendicular scalar potential functions each representing one of the compression (P), vertically-polarized shear (SV), and horizontally-polarized shear (SH) waves. This representation results in complete decoupling of the equations of motion for the SH wave while P and SV wave equations remain coupled. This is in agreement with the physics of the aforementioned wave modes. The frequency equation for the propagation of flexural guided waves in free transversely isotropic cylinders is developed and numerically solved. The model is used in solving the frequency equation of isotropic cylinders and several transversely isotropic cylinders. The results obtained for isotropic materials are used as benchmarks and completely agree with those obtained from other mathematical models. Since the results obtained for transversely isotropic materials are the first of their kind, there is no means of comparison. The validity of these frequency spectra is investigated by comparing them with their counterparts calculated for isotropic cylinders.