The nonlinear effects produced by the interaction between a closed crack and an ultrasonic wave can be a good mean for the detection or thecharacterization of such cracks. This work is dedicated to the study and the analysis of the contact acoustic nonlinearity involved during the interaction of acoustic waves and closed cracks. Our approach is based on Finite Element (FE) modeling. The crack is modeled by unilateral contact with Coulomb's friction law, and numerical solutions are computed in the time domain. The numerical tool is used to analyze the method of higher harmonic generation and its relation with contact dynamics. First, the case of an interface between two solids in contact is considered, both numerically and experimentally, and it was shown that the nonlinear behavior depend on the state of stress. Then, nonlinear elastic scattering by a closed crack of various orientations was calculated. A hybrid model coupling FE and semi-analytical solutions was set up to compute the scattered field and to plot directivity diagrams. The nonlinear mechanisms involved in the interaction between a wave and a closed crack are highlighted. Using those results, the non-collinear mixing technique was applied for measuring the nonlinear response of a contact interface and a closed crack. The numerical results, as well as the first experimental results, are very promising for detecting, locating and imaging closed cracks.
