Heat Flow Visualization and Thermal Anomaly Detection Using Phase Measuring Deflectometry
Ragni Trivedi (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg)
Shivam Sharma (National Institute of Technology (NIT))
Vismay Trivedi (TU Delft - Group Groves)
Rahul Sharma (Sardar Patel University, Optics Laboratory)
Roger M. Groves (TU Delft - Group Groves)
Gyanendra Sheoran (National Institute of Technology (NIT))
Arun Anand (Sardar Patel University)
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Abstract
This study demonstrates Phase Measuring Deflectometry (PMD) as an optical technique for visualizing heat flow and detecting thermal anomalies in metallic materials. Heat conducted from a thermally loaded sample into an adjacent transparent medium induces spatial refractive index gradients, which distort a projected fringe pattern. These distortions are captured and analysed using PMD, enabling emissivity-independent visualization of the heat flow field. Experimental results on aluminium and structural steel slabs reveal distinct phase signatures linked to thermal conductivity differences. The method offers a compact, non-invasive, and surface-independent alternative to conventional thermography, well-suited for engineering diagnostics and material evaluation.