From Qualitative Localisation to Quantitative Verification: Integrating Active IR Thermography and Laser Scanning in...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Non-Destructive Testing

Background:

• Composite wind turbine blades require reliable non-destructive testing (NDT) methods for damage assessment.
• Existing methods like infrared thermography (IRT) and laser scanning have limitations when used independently.
• Accurate detection and quantification of defects are crucial for blade integrity and performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a coupled NDT workflow integrating active IRT and laser-scanning-based reverse engineering (RE).
• To enhance the reliability of detecting and interpreting damage in composite wind turbine blades.
• To reduce false positives and negatives in damage assessment through thermal-geometric cross-validation.

Main Methods:

• Active infrared thermography (IRT) for qualitative anomaly localization.
• Laser-scanning-based reverse engineering (RE) for quantitative, geometry-aware defect measurement.
• Co-registration and fusion of IRT and 3D scan data for cross-validation.

Main Results:

• The fused method successfully disambiguated thermal indications and quantified defect magnitudes on laboratory specimens.
• Integration distinguished genuine geometric changes from architectural effects on a VAWT blade without reference scans.
• Fleet-level scan comparison detected significant tip deviation on HAWT blades, complementing localized IRT findings.

Conclusions:

• The integrated IRT and laser scanning workflow significantly improves the reliability of NDT for wind turbine blades.
• Thermal-geometric cross-validation offers a robust approach to damage detection and characterization.
• This methodology paves the way for UAV-enabled inspections of complex composite structures.