Data fusion of ultrasonic and thermal nondestructive testing of metal-polymer composite

Non-destructive testing is an integral part of quality inspection for critical products. The complex structure of metalpolymer hydrogen cylinders makes it difficult to reliably detect defects using a single type of an NDT technique. In this context, the application of hybrid NDT is of interest. This paper considers the combined use of acoustic and thermal techniques of defect detection and the fusion of their results. Experimental verification has shown that the fusion of thermal and acoustic inspection data using the approach developed in this study provides an increase in defect detection compared to the separate use of these types of NDT methods.