Pulsed phase thermography reviewed

Pulsed Phase Thermography has considerably evolved since it was originally introduced in 1996. In this paper, a general review of the technique is presented. The different types of uncertainties related to data acquisition and processing are identified. Equivalence between discrete and continuous Fourier Transforms when applied to thermographic data is discussed in detail. As will be pointed out, the optimal solution for a Pulsed Phase problem, qualitative or quantitative, arises from a compromise between sampling rate, truncation window size and the available computer power. The theoretical concepts introduced here are reinforced with a variety of experimental results.