Dynamic One-Sided Thermal Scanning of Aircraft Composite Fairings

Abstract

A theoretical and experimental analysis of the dynamic one-sided thermal scanning of aircraft composite fairings during short-time convective heating is carried out. The model of thermal contrast based on the concept of the mechanism of molecular heat conductivity with rationalization of reducing statement from 2D to 1D format is given and an “effective” heat transfer coefficient from the heated convective source to the fairing surface is introduced. The calculation results show the qualitative sufficiency of this approach, and the full-scale experiments for the nose fairing of the MIG-29 aircraft confirm its correctness quantitatively. The conclusions are drawn on the feasibility of the thermal scanning method of aircraft fairings for identifying delamination cavities.