Tuesday  |  Salon 9  |  02:20 PM–02:40 PM

#15954, Infrared Camera Simulations to Determine the Performance of Low-cost Devices for Thermoelastic Stress Analysis (TSA)

A means of simulating the performance of infrared (IR) cameras is described, with the purpose of assessing the suitability of the IR camera for thermoelastic stress analysis (TSA). The approach is demonstrated on two IR cameras containing different sensors: a standard microbolometer and a very low cost microbolometer based thermal core. The simulations take into account the sensor spatial resolution, the lenses and the sensor sensitivity. The analytical solution for a disc in two-point diametral compression (Brazilian disc) is used to generate the simulated thermoelastic response. The results from camera simulations are quantitatively compared with the experimental data, and accuracy and precision of the thermoelastic response relative to the simulated data is established for each camera. The focus is on the results obtained with the thermal core, which are promising, strongly indicating that a low-cost approach multiple camera TSA is a realistic possibility. The simulations reveal that in its off-the-shelf format the thermal core can only be used in a qualitative manner for TSA. The sensor has a very low response exacerbated by significant attenuation caused by the intrinsic sensor time constant inherent in microbolometer based IR detectors, and inbuilt software-based noise reduction procedures. The simulations demonstrate that re-packaging the thermal core sensor and disabling some of the inbuilt features quantitative TSA is possible.

Irene Jimenez-Fortunato   University of Bristol
Cedric Devivier   ModExpEng
Roy Bullock   University of Bristol
Geir Olafsson   University of Bristol
Janice Dulieu-Barton   University of Bristol