TY - JOUR
TI - Application of pulsed flash thermography method for specific defect estimation in aluminum
AU - Tomić Ljubiša D
AU - Jovanović Dalibor B
AU - Karkalić Radovan M
AU - Damnjanović Vesna M
AU - Kovačević Branko V
AU - Filipović Dalibor D
AU - Radaković Sonja S
JN - Thermal Science
PY - 2015
VL - 19
IS - 5
SP - 1845
EP - 1854
PT - Article
AB - Nondestructive thermal examination can uncover the presence of defects via  temperature distribution profile anomalies that are created on the surface as  a result of a defect. There are many factors that affect the temperature  distribution map of the surface being tested by Infrared Thermography.  Internal defect properties such as thermal conductivity, heat capacity and  defect depth, play an important role in the temperature behavior of the  pixels or regions being analyzed. Also, it is well known that other external  factors such as the convection heat transfer, variations on the surface  emissivity and ambient radiation reflectivity can affect the thermographic  signal received by the infrared camera. In this paper we considered a simple  structure in the form of flat plate covered with several defects, whose  surface we heated with a uniform heat flux impulse. We conducted a  theoretical analysis and experimental test of the method for case of defects  on an aluminum surface. First, experiments were conducted on surfaces with  intentionally created defects in order to determine conditions and boundaries  for application of the method. Experimental testing of the pulsed flash  thermography (PFT) method was performed on simulated defects on an aluminum  test plate filled with air and organic compound n-hexadecane, hydrocarbon  that belongs to the Phase Change Materials (PCMs). Study results indicate  that it is possible, using the PFT method, to detect the type of material  inside defect holes, whose presence disturbs the homogeneous structure of  aluminum.