Thermographic Reference Dataset: Experimentally simulated Gaussian-shaped internal defects in GFRP

We introduce a thermographic reference dataset consisting of 100 experimentally recorded temperature fields that replicate defect-like heat signatures in glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites. Instead of relying on the fabrication of numerous damaged specimens, the dataset was generated by directly imprinting defect signatures onto an intact laminate using a near-infrared laser projector with spatial light modulation. The projected patterns are derived from parameterized Gaussian distributions, enabling systematic variation in defect size, shape, and orientation. The resulting steady-state thermal responses were captured with infrared thermography, providing high-resolution temperature distribution measurements for each case. This novel approach ensures that the heat transfer physics are preserved experimentally, while no special samples with different defects need to be manufactured to acquire datasets for different defect parameters. The dataset is ultimately designed as a resource for the benchmarking of thermographic non-destructive testing techniques, the validation of numerical heat transfer simulations, and the training of data-driven algorithms for defect detection in composite materials