Non-destructive inspection using laser-ultrasound and infrared thermography

1. A method to inspect a targets comprising:

a. using a generation laser beam to produce ultrasonic displacements on the target;

b. using the generation laser beam to produce time varying thermal transients in the target;

c. detecting the ultrasonic displacements at the target;

d. detecting the thermal transients in the target by thermally imaging the target at predetermined times after steps (a) and (b); and

e. analyzing both detected ultrasonic displacements at the target and thermal imagery of the target yields information about the target.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein: the target comprises a composite material;

analyzing detected ultrasonic displacements yields information about a deep internal structure of the composite material; and

analyzing thermal imagery at the target yields information about a near surface internal structure of the composite material.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising correlating information about the deep internal structure of the composite material and the near surface internal structure of the composite material.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising correlating the detected ultrasonic displacements and the thermal imagery.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the ultrasonic displacements and the thermal transient at the target further comprises:

matching thermal imaging to a pulse rate of the generation laser beam.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the ultrasonic displacements and the thermal transient at the target further comprises:

matching thermal imaging frame rate to a pulse rate of the generation laser beam.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein a field of view of the thermal image encompasses a scan plan of the generation laser beam.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a quantitative thermal wall thickness is determined by analyzing thermal imagery at the target.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein an unexpected change in the quantitative thermal wall thickness indicates a flaw in the target at the unexpected change.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing thermal imagery at the target comprises infrared (IR) transient thermography.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating a detection laser beam;

directing the detection laser beam to the surface of the target;

scattering the detection laser beam at the surface of the target to produce light phase-modulated by ultrasonic surface displacements;

collecting the phase modulated light;

processing the phase modulated light to obtain data representative of the ultrasonic surface displacements at the surface; and

collecting the data with the information to analyze structures within the target.

12. An inspection system operable to inspect an internal structure of a target comprising:

a generation laser operable to generate a pulsed laser beam operable to induce ultrasonic displacements in the target and thermal transients at the target that have a varying temperature over time;

an ultrasonic detection system operable to detect the ultrasonic surface displacements at the target;

a thermal imaging system operable to detect the thermal transient at the target over a period of time;

a processor operable to analyze both detected ultrasonic displacements at the target and thermal imagery of the target to yield information about the internal structure of the target.

13. The inspection system of claim 12 , wherein the ultrasonic detection system comprises:

a detection laser operable to generate a detection laser beam operable to illuminate the ultrasonic surface displacements at the target;

collection optics for collecting light phase-modulated by ultrasonic surface displacements from the detection laser beam scattered at the target surface;

an interferometer to process the phase modulated light and generate at least one output signal; and

a processing unit to process the at least one output signal to obtain data representative of the ultrasonic surface displacements at the target.

14. The inspection system of claim 12 , wherein the thermal imaging system comprises an infrared (IR) transient thermography system.

15. The inspection system of claim 14 , wherein the IR transient thermography system comprises an IR sensitive camera operable to acquire image frames of the target illuminated by the generation laser beam.

16. The inspection system of claim 15 , wherein image frames of the target comprise an array of pixels and are assigned a frame number that corresponds to elapsed time, wherein a quantitative thermal wall thickness is determined by analyzing sequential frames of thermal imagery.

17. The inspection system of claim 15 , wherein the processing unit correlates the detected ultrasonic displacements and the thermal imagery.

18. The inspection system of claim 15 , further comprising a control module operable to match thermal imaging frame acquisition to a pulse rate of the generation laser beam.

19. The inspection system of claim 15 , wherein:

the target comprises a composite material; and

the processing unit:

analyzes detected ultrasonic displacements to yield information about a deep internal structure of the composite material;

analyzes thermal imagery at the target to yield information about a near surface internal structure of the composite material; and

correlates information about the deep internal structure of the composite material and the near surface internal structure of the composite material.

20. A large area composite inspection system, comprising:

a generation laser operable to generate a pulsed laser beam operable to induce ultrasonic displacements in a composite material and thermal transients that are defined by a variation in temperature at a location in the composite material irradiated by the pulsed laser beam;

an ultrasonic detection system operable to detect the ultrasonic surface displacements at the composite material;

a thermal imaging system operable to detect the time varying thermal transient at the composite material:

a control module operable to match thermal imaging frame acquisition to a pulse rate of the generation laser beam;

a processor operable to:

analyze both detected ultrasonic displacements at the composite material and thermal imagery of the target to yield information about the internal structure of the target.

21. The inspection system of claim 20 , wherein the processing unit analyzes:

analyzes detected ultrasonic displacements to yield information about a deep internal structure of the composite material;

analyzes thermal imagery at the target to yield information about a near surface internal structure of the composite material; and

correlates information about the deep internal structure of the composite material and the near surface internal structure of the composite material.

22. The inspection system of claim 20 , wherein the ultrasonic detection system comprises:

a detection laser operable to generate a detection laser beam operable to illuminate the ultrasonic surface displacements at the target;

collection optics for collecting light phase-modulated by ultrasonic surface displacements from the detection laser beam scattered at the target surface;

an interferometer to process the phase modulated light and generate at least one output signal; and

a processing unit to process the at least one output signal to obtain data representative of the ultrasonic surface displacements at the target.

23. The inspection system of claim 20 , wherein the thermal imaging system comprises an infrared (IR) transient thermography system.

24. The inspection system of claim 23 , wherein the IR transient thermography system comprises an IR sensitive camera operable to acquire image frames of the target illuminated by the generation laser beam.

25. The inspection system of claim 20 , wherein image frames comprise an array of pixels and are assigned a frame number that corresponds to elapsed time, wherein a quantitative thermal gall thickness is determined by analyzing sequential frames of thermal imagery.