A 3D model based on the finite element method (FEM) was built to simulate the infrared thermography (IRT) inspection process. Thermal contrast is an important parameter in IRT and was proven to be a function of defect parameters. Parametric studies were conducted on internal defects with different depths, thicknesses, and orientations. Thermal contrast evolution profiles with respect to the time of the defect and host material were obtained through numerical simulation. The thermal contrast decreased with defect depth and slightly increased with defect thickness. Different orientations of thin defects were detected with IRT, but doing so for thick defects was difficult. These thermal contrast variations with the defect depth, thickness, and orientation can help in optimizing the experimental process and interpretation of data from IRT.

A two-dimensional numerical model based on the finite element method was built to simulate the wave propagation phenomena that occur during the ultrasonic time of flight diffraction (TOFD) process. First, longitudinal-wave TOFD was simulated, and the numerical results agreed well with the theoretical results. Shear-wave TOFD was also investigated because shear waves have higher intensity and resolution. The shear wave propagation was studied using three models with different boundary conditions, and the tip-diffracted shear-tolongitudinal wave was extracted from the A-scan signal difference between the cracked and non-cracked specimens. This signal showed very good agreement between the geometrical and numerical arrival times. The results of this study not only provide better understanding of the diffraction phenomena in TOFD, but also prove the potential of shear-wave TOFD for practical application.