Comparison Study between RMS and Edge Detection Image Processing Algorithms for a Pulsed Laser UWPI (Ultrasonic Wave Propagation Imaging)-Based NDT Technique

In this study, a non-contact laser ultrasonic propagation imaging technique was applied to detect the damage of plate-like structures. Lamb waves were generated by an Nd:YAG pulse laser system, while a galvanometer-based laser scanner was used to scan the preliminarily designated area. The signals of the structural responses were measured using a piezoelectric sensor attached on the front or back side of the plates. The obtained responses were analyzed by calculating the root mean square (RMS) values to achieve the visualization of structural defects such as crack, corrosion, and so on. If the propagating waves encounter the damage, the waves are scattered at the damage and the energy of the scattered waves can be expressed by the RMS values. In this study, notch and corrosion were artificially formed on aluminum plates and were considered as structural defects. The notches were created with different depths and angles on the aluminum plates, and the corrosion damage was formed with different depths and areas. To visualize the damage more clearly, edge detection methodologies were applied to the RMS images and the feasibility of the methods was investigated. The results showed that most of the edge detection methods were good at detecting the shape and/or the size of the damage while they had poor performance of detecting the depth of the damage.