This paper presents a study of the ultrasonic wave
propagation in a cylindrical layer-substrate structure of an infinite
length. We determine the dispersion curves of the structure, the
displacements field in the structure and the impact of the contact quality
between the layer and the substrate. The industrial application aimed by our
study is the control of the massive machine elements with cylindrical
cavities coated and exposed to corrosion. The obtained results show that
some modes of propagation are insensitive to the layer thickness. Therefore,
these modes can be generated during the ultrasonic control of the layer. In
addition, for the dimensions considered here, the second mode of propagation
is the most adapted for the detection of defects in the vicinity of the
internal layer wall. In addition, our study shows the possibility of
characterization of the quality of contact between the layer and the
substrate from the analysis of dispersion curves of the structure.