Reconstruction techniques for the inspection of composite materials using thermal images

A novel approach for the inspection of composite materials is presented, which utilises image processing techniques for the characterisation of flaws in composites. The technique is based on transient thermography coupled to the processing of infrared images obtained by exciting a composite specimen by a thermal pulse. The authors focus on the reconstruction algorithms developed for subsurface defect location, and overview the associated image processing techniques, as well as the experimental set-up for testing composites and generating thermal images