Product

Information Sheet

Stimulation Sources for

Heat Flux Thermography

Halogen
lamps

Flashlamps
Ultra
sound

LED
arrays
Hot/cold
air

Induction
Laser

Heat flow thermography requires a local stimulation of the specimen. The

stimulation takes place periodically (for lock-in thermography), either as a delta
or square pulse or staggered. Thermosensorik adapts and develops different
stimulation techniques for this purpose, and integrates them into their infrared
test systems. The following pages contain a brief introduction of the most
common stimulation sources.

Heat flow thermography: Illustration of the measuring principle and possible

arrangements of stimulation, component and camera: Left incident light
measuring, right transmitted light measuring on the weld of a two-sheet
joint. Red color shades represent higher temperatures, blue color shades
lower temperatures.

Stimulation Sources for

Heat Flux Thermography

Flash-lamps
"Classic" pulse thermography stimulation via high-power flash introduces a
large amount of energy (up to 6000 J per flash head) within a few
milliseconds. The simple and safe handling represents one of the key
advantages. Also suitable for large surface areas and materials with rapid
heat conduction.
a) Laboratory version (left in figure):
standard flash head

ring flash

Energy

max. 6000 J

max. 3000 J

Flash frequency

1 / 4.4 s

Power connection

110-230 V / 50-60 Hz

Accessories

lamps, reflectors, filters

b) Industry version (right in figure):

Energy

5000 J

Flash frequency

1 / 3.5 s fatigue endurable

Power connection

380 V / 50 Hz, 32 A

Accessories

lamps, reflectors, filters, robot mounting

Halogen lamps
The simplest type of heating. It is suitable for stimulation periods from a few
seconds to several days with outputs in the kilowatt range, and is used
especially for specimens with slow heat conduction and in lock-in operation.
Typical specifications: single lamps
Power consumption

500 1000 W / lamp @ 230 V

Light output

37.000 350.000 cd axial

Modulation frequency

sensible up to max. 1 Hz

Accessories

reflectors, filters, robot mounting

Typical specifications: halogen lamp array

Power consumption

4 x 650 W or 8 x 650 W

Description

compact housing with air cooling and

heat protective glass

2010 Thermosensorik GmbH, Erlangen, Germany

Ultrasound
Ultrasound stimulation selectively heats material defects such as cracks and
delaminations while fault-free, homogenous material remains largely
unchanged. In contrast to most of the other stimulation methods, however,
ultrasound stimulation is not contactless.
Typical output

1 kW 4 kW

500 W

Frequency range

fixed frequency
20 kHz

10 40 kHz
tunable

Coupling

via sonotrode

Accessories

sonotrodes, pneumatic clamping unit,

table for NDT

Induction
This stimulation is especially suitable for defects on or close to the surface
in electrically conducting materials. Here, too, the defect itself, e.g. a crack,
is heated the most. Thermal diffusion thus allows even the detection of
faults which are smaller than the resolution capacity of the IR camera
system. The required output depends on the size, electrical conductivity and
thermal capacity of the specimen.
Output levels

5 kW or 10 kW

1 2 kW

Working frequency

150 350 kHz

1 30 kHz tunable

Modulation frequency

max. 40 80 Hz
(depending on the
output)

> 200 Hz

Accessories

inductors, cooler in 19" rack design

Hot/cold air
The stimulation type that makes the most sense when testing for
consistency, e.g. with cooling ducts. Apart from "single" heating, periodic
stimulation for lock-in measurements (e.g. for determining wall thickness)
can be implemented.
Heating hose supply

230 V / 50 Hz,
compressed air approx. 2 bar

Achievable air temperature

approx. 250C

2010 Thermosensorik GmbH, Erlangen, Germany

Stimulation Sources for

Heat Flux Thermography

LED array
Because of their narrow-band light spectrum, LED arrays can be well
adapted to the material properties. Typical application: Homogenous
illumination for defect detection on solar cells.
Typical specifications
2

Light output / area

e.g. 600 W/m @ 850 nm or 940 nm

on 20 cm x 20 cm with 6 arrays

Power consumption

120 W / array

Max. modulation frequency

2 kHz

Laser
The method of choice for locally and temporally precise stimulation of high
power densities. Furthermore, the laser - at a suitable wave length is, just
like the LED array, a "cold" stimulation source, which does not cause any
interference with the infrared images.
Typical specifications
Wavelength

910 nm

Light output

200 W cw

Power consumption

approx. 600 W

Accessories

fiber-optic coupling, scanner

Electrical stimulation
The method of choice for detecting defects in electrical circuits. Here, too,
the defect itself is heated through the locally increased current flow. Thermal
diffusion allows even the most minute flaws to be detected; these can be
localized up to approx. 3 m using microscope lenses and to 1 m with
solid-state immersion lenses.

Mechanical stimulation
Plastic but also elastic deformation is always accompanied by a temperature
change. Mechanical stimulation is known by the term 'Thermal Tension
Analysis'. Because the signal amplitudes that occur are low, this method is
usually carried out as a lock-in measurement.

Thermosensorik GmbH
Am Weichselgarten 7
91058 Erlangen
Germany
Tel.: +49 9131 691-400
Fax: +49 9131 691-419
info@thermosensorik.com
www.thermosensorik.com

2010 Thermosensorik GmbH, Erlangen, Germany