• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.443-446
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• 2013

An infrared thermography technique can be used to inspect a large area simultaneously and to detect defects such as cracks or delaminations in real time. Infrared thermography is a technique in which visual images are formed from the infrared range from subjects according to their thermal radiation. The molecules of all objects are disturbed by heat, and the molecular motion becomes more active when the temperature rises and less active when the temperature falls. In this study, the applicability and feasibility of ultrasound thermography for detecting defects in an engine block, which is a key component in the automobile industry, were verified. A nondestructive reliability test was conducted to study the defects, after which the results were analyzed.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.336-340
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• 2010

Ultrasound thermography detects defects by radiating 20 ~ 30 kHz ultrasound waves to the samples and capturing the heat generated from the defects with the use of an infrared thermographic camera. This technology is being spotlighted as a next-generation NDE for the automobile and aerospace industries because it can test large areas and can detect defects such as cracks and exfoliations in real time. The heating mechanism of the ultrasound vibration has not been accurately determined, but the thermomechanical coupling effect and the surface or internal friction are estimated to be the main causes. When this heat is captured by an infrared thermographic camera, the defects inside or on the surface of objects can be quickly detected. Although this technology can construct a testing device relatively simply and can detect defects within a short time, there are no reliable data about the factors related to its detection ability. In this study, the ultrasound thermography technique was used to manufacture gasoline and diesel engine piston specimens, and nondestructive reliability tests to verify the applicability and validity of the ultrasound thermography technique.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.124-129
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• 2014

The piping system accounts for a large portion of the machinery structure of a plant, and is considered as a very important mechanical structure for plant safety. Accordingly, it is used in most energy plants in the nuclear, gas, and heavy chemical industries. In particular, the piping system for a nuclear plant is generally complicated and uses the reactor and its cooling system. The piping equipment is exposed to diverse loads such as weight, temperature, pressure, and seismic load from pipes and fluids, and is used to transfer steam, oil, and gas. In ultrasound infrared thermography, which is an active thermography technology, a 15-100 kHz ultrasound wave is applied to the subject, and the resulting heat from the defective parts is measured using a thermography camera. Because this technique can inspect a large area simultaneously and detect defects such as cracks and delamination in real time, it is used to detect defects in the new and renewable energy, car, and aerospace industries, and recently, in piping defect detection. In this study, ultrasound infrared thermography is used to detect information for the diagnosis of nuclear equipment and structures. Test specimens are prepared with piping materials for nuclear plants, and the optimally designed ultrasound horn and ultrasound vibration system is used to determine damages on nuclear plant piping and detect defects. Additionally, the detected images are used to improve the reliability of the surface and internal defect detection for nuclear piping materials, and their field applicability and reliability is verified.