THERSA, THERMOELASTIC RESIDUAL STRESS ANALYSIS SYSTEM

To accurately account for effects of environmentally assisted cracking in the overall structural life, quantitative information on the sustained residual stresses needs to be identified. Current methods for residual stress evaluation lack the required level of quantitative accuracy to permit the prognostics efforts pertaining to hydrogen embrittlement and stress corrosion cracking. This lack of accuracy results in i) inaccurate assessment of structure's susceptibility to premature failure, ii) increased maintenance workloads, iii) reduced fleet readiness, and iv) increased safety risks. To avoid these adverse effects, technologies that can accurately quantify the residual stress on aircraft structural components must be developed. In this SBIR program, Materials Technologies Corporation leverages its extensive IR and optical inspection system R & D experience and proposes THERSA, a Thermoelastic Residual Stress Analysis system, based on a novel quantitative infra-red thermography method for nondestructive evaluation and inspection of metal and composite components using thermoelastic stress analysis. During Phase I research, residual stress quantification methods will be established and methodology will be verified through an extensive experimental program. Once feasibility is demonstrated, Phase II program will culminate with the delivery of a prototype THERSA technology to the US Navy.