Detection and tracking of cracks based on thermoelastic stress analysis.

Thermoelastic stress analysis using arrays of small, low-cost detectors has the potential to be used in structural health monitoring. However, evaluation of the collected data is challenging using traditional methods, due to the lower resolution of these sensors, and the complex loading conditions experienced. An alternative method has been developed, using image decomposition to generate feature vectors which characterize the uncalibrated map of the magnitude of the thermoelastic effect. Thermal data have been collected using a state-of-the-art photovoltaic effect detector and lower cost, lower thermal resolution microbolometer detectors, during crack propagation induced by both constant amplitude and frequency loading, and by idealized flight cycles. The Euclidean distance calculated between the feature vectors of the initial and current state can be used to indicate the presence of damage. Cracks of the order of 1 mm in length can be detected and tracked, with an increase in the rate of change of the Euclidean distance indicating the onset of critical crack propagation. The differential feature vector method therefore represents a substantial advance in technology for monitoring the initiation and propagation of cracks in structures, both in structural testing and in-service using low-cost sensors.