This paper reports on a Tone Burst Eddycurrent Thermography (TBET) technique that uses short-time bursts of eddy-currents induced in conducting media to generate local heating inside the material. The transient diffusion of the heat inside the material, induced by pulsed/short-time induction heating, is imaged by measuring the transient temperature profiles on the surface of the material. The presence and characteristics of the defects inside the materials changes the surface temperature transients and thus can be used for the nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of conducting materials. Axisymmetric numerical models of the conventional transient thermography technique are used to benchmark the TBET technique. From the temperature profile data, temperature contrast information is obtained for the different defect depths. Temperature contrast data obtained for TBET, in this process, was compared with that obtained from conventional transient thermography data. It was found that the frequency of the eddy-current and, consequently, the skin-depth of the induced field play an important role in the effective utilization of this technique. Simulation details and the experimental results are presented in the paper. Possible advantages of TBET over conventional flash thermography are also discussed and supported by experimental data. © 2008 American Institute of Physics.

Krishnan Balasubramaniam

Department of Mechanical Engineering

C V Krishnamurthy

Department Of Physics

Bruce W. Maxfield

IIT Madras is a public technical and research university located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Founded in 1959, it is recognised as an Institute of National Importance.

IIT Madras has been ranked as the top engineering institute in India for four years in a row by the National Institutional Ranking Framework of the MHRD

It currently offers undergraduate, postgraduate and research degrees across 16 disciplines in Engineering, Sciences, Humanities and Management. About 596 faculty belonging to science and engineering departments and centres of the Institute are engaged in teaching, research and industrial consultancy.

IIT Madras

Tone burst eddy‐current thermography (tbet)

AIP Conference Proceedings

Scanning Induction Thermography (SIT) combines both Eddy Current Technique (ECT) and Thermographic Non-Destructive Techniques (TNDT) [1],[2]. This NDT technique has been earlier demonstrated for metallic components for the detection of cracks, corrosion, etc.[3]-[9] Even though Carbon-Fiber Reinforced Plastics (CFRP) has a relatively less electrical conductivity compared to metals, it was observed that sufficient heat could be generated using induction heating that can be used for nondestructive evaluation using the Induction Thermography technique. Also, measurable temperatures could be achieved using relatively less currents, when compared to metals. In Scanning Induction Thermography (SIT) technique, the induction coil moves over the sample at optimal speeds and the temperature developed in the sample due to Joule heating effects is captured as a function of time and distance using an IR camera in the form of video images. A new algorithm is also presented for the analysis of the video images for improved analysis of the data obtained. Several CFRP components were evaluated for detection of impact damage and delaminations using the SIT technique. © 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.

Scanning induction thermography (SIT) for imaging damages in carbon-fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP) components

Tone Burst Eddy Current technique uses eddy current to apply transient heating inside a component and uses a conventional IR camera for visualization of the response to the transient heating. This technique has been earliest demonstrated for metallic components made of AL, Steel, Stainless Steel, etc., and for detection of cracks, corrosion and adhesive dis-bonds. Although, not nearly as conducting as metals, the Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) material absorbs measurable electromagnetic radiation in the frequency range above 10 kHz. When the surface temperature is observed on the surface that is being heated (defined as the surface just beneath and slightly to one side of the heating coil), the surface temperature increases with increasing frequency because the internal heating increases with frequency. A 2-D anisotropic transient Eddy current heating and thermal conduction model has been developed that provides a reasonable description of the processes described above. The inherent anisotropy of CFRP laminates is included in this model by calculating the heating due to three superimposed, tightly coupled isotropic layers having a specified ply-layup. The experimental apparatus consists of an induction heating coil and an IR camera with low NETD and high frame rates. The coil is moved over the sample using a stepper motor controlled manipulator. The IR data recording is synchronized with the motion control to provide a movie of the surface temperature over time. Several components were evaluated for detection of impact damage, location of stiffeners, etc. on CFRP components. © 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.

Scanning tone burst eddy-current thermography (S-TBET) for NDT of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) components

Tone Burst Eddy current Thermography (TBET) is a new hybrid, non-contacting, Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) method which employs a combination of Pulsed Eddy current Thermography (PEC) and Thermographic Non-Destructive Evaluation (TNDE). For understanding the influence of cracking and pitting on heat generation and flow within a metallic body, a fundamental knowledge of the detailed induced current density distribution in the component under test is required. This information enables us to calculate the amount of heat produced by the defects and how that heat diffuses to the surface where it is imaged. This paper describes simulation work done for artificial pits and cracks within pits on the far surface of poorly conducting metals like stainless steel. The first phase of this investigation simulates the transient thermal distribution for artificial 2D pit and crack-like defects using the finite element package COMSOL multi-physics with the AC/DC module and general heat transfer. Considering the reflection measurement geometry where thermal excitation and temperature monitoring are on the same surface, pitting reduces the material volume thereby contributing to a larger temperature rise for the same thermal energy input. A crack within a pit gives a further increase in temperature above the pure pit baseline. The tone burst frequency can be changed to obtain approximately uniform heating (low frequency) or heating of a thin region at the observation surface. Although front surface temperature changes due to 10% deep far-side pits in a 6 mm thick plate can be measured, it is not yet clear whether a 20% deep crack within this pit can be discriminated against the background. Both simulations and measurements will be presented. The objective of this work is to determine whether the TBET method is suitable for the detection and characterization of far side pitting, cracking and cracks within those pits. © 2013 American Institute of Physics.

Simulations and measurements of artificial cracks and pits in flat stainless steel plates using tone burst eddy-current thermography (TBET)

Tone Burst Eddy current Thermography (TBET) is a new hybrid, non-contacting, Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDT) method which employs a combination of Pulsed Eddy current Thermography (PEC) and Thermographic Non-Destructive Evaluation (TNDE). For understanding angular cracks, fundamental knowledge about the induced current density distribution in the component under test is required. Further, this information enables us to find the amount of heat produced at those locations and how it diffuses to the surface. This paper describes simulation work done for cracks set at an angle to the surface in flat and bent aluminum plates. The investigation is implemented by the simulating transient thermal distribution for 2D angular cracks via finite element package COMSOL multi-physics with AC/DC module and general heat transfer. At crack edges, induced current is seen concentrated thus indicating a localized high heating in those areas relative to other regions. A numerical study was also carried out by varying parameters like crack angle (0°, 22.5°, 45°, 67.5°) and crack length (0.6mm, 1.2mm, 1.8mm) the transient thermal distributions were compared for different plate bend angles (180°, 120°, 90°, 60°, 30°). TBET method was found well suited for the detection of service induced cracks, usually caused by either rolling contact fatigue or stress corrosion, with a high degree of sensitivity. © 2013 American Institute of Physics.

Numerical analysis of angular defects in bent plates using tone burst eddy-current thermography (TBET)

In this paper, the results of the simulation study to reconstruct the size of the defects from the data obtained using the active thermography technique based on transient induction heating, will be presented. The forward problem of electro-magnetic induction was solved with an axi-symmetric model using finite element method and from the temperature history profiles, an inverse analysis was performed using Genetic Algorithm (GA) to size the defect. Simulations were performed using the finite element model to obtain the temperature data which are then used to reconstruct the radius (r d ) and depth (d d ) of the wall thinning defects in aluminum plate using inversion method. Two cases, coil inner radius less than the defect radius (rc&lt;r d ) and coil inner radius greater than the defect radius (r c &gt;r d ), were considered. The analysis of the sensitivity of coil dimensions to the calculated peak temperature at the observation point was carried out. © 2013 American Institute of Physics.

Journal	AIP Conference Proceedings
ISSN	0094243X
Open Access	No