Ultrasonic vibrations generate heat at the location of defects mainly due to frictional rubbing, viscoelastic losses and plastic deformation at the defects.
Vibrothermography is a non-destructive damage detection method in which an external mechanical energy source induces a temperature difference between the defective and non-defective areas of the object’s surface. The temperature difference emits a broad electromagnetic spectrum of infrared radiation which is not visible to the human eye. Thus, the defected area may be detected by an infrared camera through the process of mapping temperature distribution on the surface of the object.
A coupled thermo-electro-mechanical analysis was performed in ABAQUS to simultaneously model the electrical properties of the piezoelectric actuator, the mechanical waves propagating within a plate with three surface cracks, as well as the thermal properties of the plate.
Post time: Jun-12-2017