Modern Trends in the Application of Thermoelectric Method in Nondestructive Testing (Review)

The paper provides an overview of the main directions of using the thermoelectric testing method in various spheres of the national economy. The thermoelectric method is most widely used in industry. There are publications on the application of the thermoelectric method to quality control of turning and friction stir welding. It is shown that the thermoelectric method makes it possible to increase the reliability of testing and, based on testing data, ensure optimal modes of the technological process of metalworking and welding. A number of papers are devoted to the application of the thermoelectric method to plastic deformation testing; the dependence of thermal EMF on the degree of plastic deformation is revealed. Recently, publications have appeared on the application of the thermoelectric method to testing the thermal resistance of the “power semiconductor device housing–thermal interface–cooling radiator” structure. This design is very common in electronic technology. In addition, there are papers on the use of the thermoelectric method to test the transient resistance of contacts in the power supply network. It is shown that with an increase in contact resistance, the value of thermal EMF increases proportionally; this can be used to prevent emergencies in power supply networks. The thermoelectric method has also been successfully applied to diagnosing the degree of titanium hydrogen saturation. The dependence of the thermal EMF on the degree of hydrogenation has been revealed. The use of the thermoelectric method is not limited to the field of industrial production. The thermoelectric method is successfully used in medicine for the label-free detection of nucleic acid sequences, for the temperature diagnosis of human teeth, as well as for the diagnosis of inflammatory processes in the human body.