Thermal NDT methods involve the measurement or mapping of surface temperatures as heat flows to, from and/or through an object. The simplest thermal measurements involve making point measurements with a thermocouple. This type of measurement might be useful in locating hot spots, such as a bearing that is wearing out and starting to heat up due to an increase in friction.
In its more advanced form, the use of thermal imaging systems allow thermal information to be very rapidly collected over a wide area and in a non-contact mode. Thermal imaging systems are instruments that create pictures of heat flow rather than of light. Thermal imaging is a fast, cost effective way to perform detailed thermal analysis. |
