The Thermal Protection Systems (TPSs) of space vehicles, in the atmospheric re-entry phase, have to withstand high thermal fluxes and high temperature and their emissivity is one of the main parameters to be characterized. Thermography combined to other devices, such as pyrometers and thermocouples, allows to characterize the emissivity of the material when it is heated in a high temperature furnace. Furthermore the use of the thermography performed during a hypersonic Plasma Wind Tunnel test allows to obtain information about temperature and emissivity of the material in an environment similar to the one characterizing the atmospheric re-entry phase. Since the emissivity for innovative materials can be an unknown parameter, in order to obtain temperature maps free from emissivity, a new technique based on the dual color principle applied to the thermographic devices has been analysed.

This article presents a thermal test of the FFSH10120A diode. The use of thermography in monitoring its temperature is described in detail. The use of the FFSH10120A diode, which is a high-power semiconductor component, is associated with thermal problems. The influence of the power supplied to the diode and the ambient conditions on its temperature were analyzed. The use of thermography enabled the precise and non-invasive monitoring of this temperature, which allows for identifying the areas with excessive temperature and taking appropriate countermeasures. The conducted research provides valuable information regarding the optimal operation of the FFSH10120A diode to ensure its durability and efficiency.

Laser shock peening (LSP) is widely used for improving mechanical and fatigue properties of metals. It uses high power laser radiation to create shock waves. The resulting plastic deformation and microstructural changes create a complex combination of tensile and compressive residual stress fields. This affects the mechanical and thermal behaviour of the laser-shocked material. Infrared thermography (IRT) could be used to define the thermodynamic state of the laser-shocked material under load and to optimize the LSP mode for different geometries and loading conditions. This work investigates the thermal properties and thermomechanical behaviour of laser-shocked Ti64 under quasistatic tensile using IRT.