Crack detection in dielectric objects using electrical capacitance tomography imaging

Dielectric materials are becoming widely used because of their versatility and low cost. Examples include carbon fibre, glass reinforced plastic, polymers and ceramics. These materials are increasingly used for aircraft structures and other important areas, such as transportation in gas pipelines, where materials require regular inspection. There is a need for a new technology for rapid inspection of dielectric materials. This paper focuses on one of the most challenging material inspection problems using an electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) system. The results show that volume cracks can be detected using ECT data and a state-of-the-art shape reconstruction algorithm. The reconstruction of cracks is difficult using conventional image-based approaches.