Carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) specimens, charged with defined loads in impact tests, have been examined with flash and inductive thermography from the front and the rear side. In the case of inductive thermography, eddy currents are induced in electrically conductive materials, usually in metals. But it can be also excellently used for inspection of CFRP, as eddy current can be induced in the carbon fibers. The fiber’s orientation regarding the magnetic field of the induction coil also has an influence on the detection results. The sequence of the temperature images, recorded during and after the short inductive heating pulse, is evaluated with a Fourier Transform, and the obtained phase image is used for localizing the impact damages. The flash thermography tests in transmission and reflection mode were evaluated using PPT and TSR methods. The results of the flash and inductive inspection techniques are compared for samples with different degrees of damage, in order to learn more about the capability of induction thermography for detecting impact damages.

Date Published: 2 May 2019
PDF: 10 pages
Proc. SPIE 11004, Thermosense: Thermal Infrared Applications XLI, 110040L (2 May 2019); doi: 10.1117/12.2520104

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 11004:
Thermosense: Thermal Infrared Applications XLI
Jaap de Vries; Beate Oswald-Tranta, Editor(s)