Heat treatment of metals optimized by numerical simulation based on infrared thermographic measurement

The analysis of complex probe geometry heating and cooling was done with the aim to find the temperature distribution inside the probe versus time. An infrared thermography was used to measure surface temperatures while temperatures in control points inside the probe were measured with thermocouples. The results obtained by numerical model based on the control volume approach, where thermographic measurements were the input parameters, show good mutual accordance with those measured by thermocouple at referent points of the probe. Applied on heat treatment of metals, this method provides a possibility to monitor temperature change for each single point inside the probe in a way, which will guarantee that the desired microstructure is obtained The local and average heat transfer coefficients have also been calculated by means of a numerical model. Based on that data, it is possible simulate similar processes without providing measurements for all possible setups of the furnace parameters. Additional optimization is possible when experimental rig for "real time" calculation of temperature fields (measurement and calculation at the same time), will be realized.