Solitary wave propagation in elastic bars with multiple sections and layers

In this paper we present a numerical scheme for solving a system of Boussinesq-type equations. This can correspond to longitudinal displacements in a multi-layered elastic bar with delamination, with conditions on the interface between the sections of the bar. The method is initially presented for two coupled equations in each section and multiple sections in the bar, and later extended to any number of layers. Previous works have presented a similar method constructed using finite-difference methods, however these only solved for two sections of the bar at a time which limited the scope of studies using these methods. The new method presented here solves for all sections at a given time step and therefore the transmitted and reflected waves in each section of the bar can be studied. The new results are shown to be in excellent agreement with previously obtained results and a further study is performed showing that the delamination width can be inferred from the changes to the incident soliton. The generalised form of this method, for any number of sections and layers with coupling terms independent of time derivatives, can be used to study the behaviour of longitudinal waves in more complicated waveguides in future studies.