Digital Photoelasticity: Principles, Practice and Potential

Abstract

The enormously enhanced power of photoelasticity resulting from adoption of digital technologies is highlighted and discussed. An overview of the principal techniques of digital fringe processing is provided within a single theoretical framework. The practical application of the new technologies using both conventional instruments and novel optical devices is discussed. Experiments involving more 1 × 106 quantitative fringe order measurements are possible and practical on a routine basis using the current technology. Products based on this research are beginning to appear on the market so that many new application areas are opening up for photoelasticity, such as dynamic events, real‐time fatigue crack analysis, monitoring polarisation changes at a microscopic level in materials; detailed validation of numerical simulations, particularly of complex geometry and loading; and in‐service monitoring using reflection photoelasticity of damage in both homogeneous and heterogeneous materials, such as composites.

RGB photoelasticity applied to the analysis of membrane residual stress in glass

“…The development of digital photoelasticity [3,4] allows the user to automate the analysis of residual stress in glass as shown in [5,6] in the case of the phase-shifting photoelastic method. This paper, further developing the results presented in [6], concerns the analysis of membrane residual stresses in glass plates by the use of RGB photoelasticity in white light.…”

Review of RGB photoelasticity

“…General references to RGB photoelasticity are reported, in addition to the papers [42][43][44][45], in books [10,[52][53][54] and in review papers [1][2][3][4][5].…”

Photoelastic Analysis of Edge Residual Stresses in Glass by Automated “Test Fringes” Methods

“…The development of digital photoelasticity [4,5] allows the user to automate the analysis of residual stress in glass as shown in Ref. [6] in the case of the phase shifting method.…”