Terahertz Imaging for Aerospace Applications

Terahertz (THz) Imaging has gained significant importance in the past few decades owing to the unique properties of THz radiation. In this paper, we use image processing algorithms on THz images to automate the process of manually analyzing the image for the detection of faults in aircraft composites as we intend to simplify the non-destructive evaluation of samples under inspection. THz images of a propagating crack in a concrete block taken at different frequencies are analyzed to measure the intensity of deformation. Further, THz image samples of aircraft panels are used to investigate common faults such as air cavities (voids), debonding, delamination, mechanical damage, and burn effects. The proposed algorithm's prediction on the intensity of deformation is compared with the actual values to demonstrate the potential of image processing in non-destructive evaluation. We also discuss a few methods to manipulate the THz image for the accurate detection of faults.