General Electric Company
Inspection system and method

Abstract:

An inspection system includes one or more processors and an infrared (IR) camera operably coupled to the one or more processors. The one or more processors control a microwave transmitter to sequentially emit microwaves having different frequencies within a designated frequency range into an object during a first sweep. The IR camera generates thermal image data of the object after the object is heated by each of the different frequencies of microwaves. The one or more processors analyze the thermal image data and determine a selected frequency within the designated frequency range that provides greater heating of the object than one or more other frequencies in the designated frequency range. The one or more processors also analyze select thermal image data of the object, responsive to heating of the object by the selected frequency of microwaves, to detect an element in the object.