In thermoelastic stress analysis, an infrared detector is used to obtain the small temperature change resulting from the thermoelastic effect. The output from the detector, known as the thermoelastic signal, is dependent on both the surface stresses and the surface temperature of the component under investigation. For quantitative thermoelastic stress analysis, it is important that the response resulting from changes in the surface temperature is decoupled from the response resulting from the stress changes. In this paper, a means of decoupling the response is presented that involves making corrections for increases in surface temperature so that the thermoelastic signal is dependent only on the stresses. The underlying theory is presented and a correction factor is developed using an experimental approach. A methodology for applying the correction factor to full-field data is provided. The methodology is validated through a number of case studies and applied to a composite component subject to fatigue damage initiated at a central hole.
The application of a cyclic load on a composite material containing damage has the effect of heating due to the material viscoelasticity. This is exaggerated in the proximity of interlaminar failure because of friction between plies. Quantitatively studying a stressed component subject to these conditions using Thermoelastic Stress Analysis (TSA) has been inaccurate, as the localised heating has an effect on the thermoelastic response. Hence the thermoelastic signal from damaging composites will contain a stress-induced component and a temperature-induced component. In this paper a process is described that allows the thermoelastic signal to be de-coupled into a stress component and a temperature component. This is achieved using a combination of infra-red thermography and TSA. The process is based on the use of a special calibration device. The paper provides an experimental verification of the de-coupling using actual damaged composite components.
The current paper presents a new combined technique for damage detection, localisation
and establishing damage severity. The technique is based on the use of two infrared detection
approaches: Pulsed Phase Thermography (PPT) and Thermoelastic Stress Analysis (TSA). A
methodology is described that allows the technique to be applied to fibre reinforced composites.
The usefulness of the technique is demonstrated on delaminated glass epoxy laminates. A means of
developing controlled delamination damage in such specimens is developed so that real sub surface
damage is evaluated in the paper.
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