Further investigation on profiling defect depth in composite materials using thermal imaging NDE

Abstract

Sonic Infrared (SIR) NDE is a relatively new NDE technology; it has been demonstrated as a reliable and sensitive method to detect defects in wide range of materials including metals, metal alloys, ceramics and composites. Defect characterization is of a great importance for NDE practitioners as it provides the information that aids to make proper maintenance decisions. In last conference, we presented an analytical model that describes heat diffusion from subsurface defects in composite structures. The major factors that affect the temperature curve are: thermal properties of the material, defect depth, defect size, and the duration of ultrasonic excitation. In this paper, we will present our continued work on the defect depth profiling by using the temporal information of IR images. In addition, we will address the limitations of the current analytical model.