Automated jitter correction for IR image processing to assess the quality of W7-X high heat flux components

Abstract

An automated IR image processing method was developed to evaluate the surface temperature distribution of cyclically loaded high heat flux (HHF) plasma facing components. IPP Garching will perform the HHF testing of a high percentage of the series production of the WENDELSTEIN 7-X (W7-X) divertor targets to minimize the number of undiscovered uncertainties in the finally installed components. The HHF tests will be performed as quality assurance (QA) complementary to the non-destructive examination (NDE) methods used during the manufacturing. The IR analysis of an HHF-loaded component detects growing debonding of the plasma facing material, made of carbon fibre composite (CFC), after a few thermal cycles. In the case of the prototype testing, the IR data was processed manually. However, a QA method requires a reliable, reproducible and efficient automated procedure. Using the example of the HHF testing of W7-X pre-series target elements, the paper describes the developed automated IR image processing method. The algorithm is based on an iterative two-step correlation analysis with an individually defined reference pattern for the determination of the jitter.