THERMAL IMAGING ANALYSIS OF THERMAL BARRIER COATINGS

Pulsed thermal imaging has been widely used for nondestructive evaluation of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). However, most of the current analysis methods are qualitative or semi-empirical, due partially to the lack of fundamental understanding of the thermal response to various TBC parameters. In this paper, the significance of various TBC parameters that dictate the thermal imaging data is investigated based on both theoretical and numerical methods. These parameters include TBC translucency, thickness, and thermal properties. It is identified that among the three TBC parameters, thickness and two thermal properties, one parameter cannot be uniquely determined from thermal imaging data.