Quantitative evaluation of angular defects by pulsed eddy current thermography

Pulsed eddy current (PEC) thermography employs a combination of PEC and thermographic non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques. This study considers the capabilities of PEC thermography for obtaining quantitative information about cracks set at an angle to the surface. The investigation is implemented by simulating the transient thermal distribution for angular slots, via time-stepping 3D finite element analysis (FEA), with the experimental work undertaken for verification. A slope inclination feature of the transient temperature distribution has been extracted and presented for estimating the angle of slots that is independent of slot depth and length inside the sample. With the identification of the slot angle, quantification of the length/depth of the slot inside the sample can then be made through a maximum temperature amplitude feature. Experimental studies have been undertaken for evaluation of the numerical simulation and transient feature extraction methods. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.