Pulsed phase thermography of aluminum specimens

Abstract
Recently, the fundamentals of the 'pulsed phase thermography' approach were described. As it is recalled, this approach somehow combines together practical advantages of both the well-known 'pulsed-transient thermography' and the 'lockin thermography' for which specimens are submitted to a periodical excitation. Some advantages of this novel approach were demonstrated as well. In the present paper, the discussion about 'pulsed phase thermography' includes theory and reviews the possibilities of defect detection in terms of minimum diameter-to-depth ratio in aluminum components. Experimental results include both academic and real corroded specimens from the aircraft industry.