Development and optimization of THz NDT on aeronautics composite multilayered structures

The availability of light and robust structures has led to an increased use of composite materials in the aircraft industry. In order to verify and guarantee the high quality of the conventional and new composite elements, innovative approaches for non-destructive testing of these parts are required. The European research project "DOTNAC" proposes to develop a fast, high resolution, non-invasive and non-contact inspection system for assessing aeronautic composite parts during production using terahertz waves. Conventionally two categories of systems can be discussed: pulsed and continuous wave terahertz systems. Both will be realized and their respective potential as a non-destructive inspection tool will be evaluated against the performance of X-ray testing, ultrasound non-destructive tes ting, and infra-red imaging.© (2012) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.