DMD-T: Thermographic Inspection of Composites using Dynamic Mode Decomposition

In the realm of Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) of fibre reinforced polymers, InfraRed Thermography (IRT) serves as a valuable tool for diagnosis. Various processing techniques, such as principal component analysis, Fourier transformation, and thermographic signal reconstruction, are commonly utilized to improve the identification of defects. However, the practical application of infrared thermography is limited by the need for expert operator experience, which hampers its broader adoption in industrial settings. This paper presents a preliminary examination of the application of data-driven based Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD) to study the thermal dynamics of composites and evaluate its potential for defect detection. The new method is known as the DMD for Thermography (DMD-T). The performance has been validated via an experimental dataset of a Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) plate with an impact damage.