Lift-Off Effect of Koch and Circular Differential Pickup Eddy Current Probes

A flexible or planar eddy current probe with a differential structure can suppress the lift-off noise during the inspection of defects.However,the extent of the lift-off effect on differential probes,including different coil structures,varies.In this study,two planar eddy current probes with differential pickup structures and the same size,Koch and circular probes,were used to compare lift-off effects.The eddy current distributions of the probes perturbed by 0°and 90°cracks were obtained by finite element analysis.The analysis results show that the 90°crack can impede the eddy current induced by the Koch probe even further at relatively low lift-off distance.The peak-to-peak values of the signal output from the two probes were compared at different lift-off distances using finite element analysis and experimental methods.In addition,the effects of different frequencies on the lift-off were studied experimentally.The results show that the signal peak-to-peak value of the Koch probe for the inspection of cracks in 90°orientation is larger than that of the circular probe when the lift-off distance is smaller than 1.2 mm.In addition,the influence of the lift-off distance on the peak-to-peak signal value of the two probes was studied via normalization.This indicates that the influence becomes more evident with an increase in excitation frequency.This research discloses the lift-off effect of differential planar eddy current probes with different coil shapes and proves the detection merit of the Koch probe for 90°cracks at low lift-off distances.

Subsurface Defect Evaluation of Selective-Laser-Melted Inconel 738LC Alloy Using Eddy Current Testing for Additive/Subtractive Hybrid Manufacturing

New materials and manufacturing technologies require applicable non-destructive techniques for quality assurance so as to achieve better performance.This study comprehensively investigated the effect of influencing factors includ-ing excitation frequency,lift-off distance,defect depth and size,residual heat,and surface roughness on the defect EC signals of an Inconel 738LC alloy produced by selective laser melting(SLM).The experimental investigations recorded the impedance amplitude and phase angle of EC signals for each defect to explore the feasibility of detecting sub-surface defects by merely analyzing these two key indicators.Overall,this study revealed preliminary qualitative and roughly quantitative relationships between influencing factors and corresponding EC signals,which provided a prac-tical reference on how to quantitively inspect subsurface defects using eddy current testing(ECT)on SLMed parts,and also made solid progress toward on-line ECT in additive/subtractive hybrid manufacturing(ASHM)for fabricating SLMed parts with enhanced quality and better performance.

Inversion of thicknesses of multi-layered structures from eddy current testing measurements

Luquire et al. ' s impedance change model of a rectangular cross section probe coil above a structure with an arbitrary number of parallel layers was used to study the principle of measuring thicknesses of multi-layered structures in terms of eddy current testing voltage measurements. An experimental system for multi-layered thickness measurement was developed and several fitting models to formulate the relationships between detected impedance/voltage measurements and thickness are put forward using least square method. The determination of multi-layered thicknesses was investigated after inversing the voltage outputs of the detecting system. The best fitting and inversion models are presented.

Investigation of Eddy Current Nondestructive Testing for Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Plastic （CFRP） Based on Electromagnetic Field Analysis

CFRP （carbon fiber reinforced plastic） is used extensively in aircraft and spacecraft structures, because of its excellent mechanical properties. Ultrasonic testing, which is used as a non-destructive testing technique for CFRP, requires a contact medium. In contrast, eddy current testing does not require a contact medium, and when used for CFRP testing it has advantages not available with other techniques. CFRP is a laminate, with each layer being anisotropically conductive, and the distribution of the induced eddy current is yet to be determined. Here, to determine the eddy current distribution in the detection of flaws in cross-ply CFRP （0°/90°） by using a cross-point probe, we performed an FEM （finite element method） analysis of electromagnetic fields. We investigated the nature of the flaw signals and the differences in eddy current distributions between materials with and without flaws.

Conductivity Inversion of Unidirectional CFRP Laminates Using Eddy Current Testing

Due to the electrical anisotropy of carbon fiber reinforced polymer(CFRP),this paper presents a method to inverse the anisotropic conductivity of unidirectional CFRP laminate using eddy current testing(ECT). The relationship between the conductivity and probe signal of ECT is studied by means of numerical simulation. Finally,the accuracy of inversion result is improved by optimizing the initial conductivity by use of experimental data.

An Introductory Note on Finite Element Problems Based on the Eddy Current Testing Approach

The paper addresses the first eddy current benchmark problem proposed by the World Federation of Nondestructive Evaluation Centers (WFNDEC). The problem simulates the eddy current response to the presence of an axisymmetric circumferential defect in an Inconel-600 tube. All simulations employ the axisymmetric code of the electromagnetic field simulator Finite Element Method Magnetics. For three different frequencies of excitation, it is explained how the displacement of the detecting coil inside the tube leads to a variation in the impedance of the eddy current coil. Variations of the resistive and inductive components of the impedance with distance from the defect region are used to build the impedance trajectory for each frequency of analysis.

Characteristics of Eddy Current Attenuation and Thickness Measurement of Metallic Plate

In eddy current testing, the law of attenuation of eddy current(EC) is of great concern. In conductive half space under the excitation of uniform magnetic field, the EC density decreases exponentially in the depth direction. However, in conductor with finite thickness tested by coil, the distribution of EC in the depth direction is more complicated. This paper studies the characteristics of EC attenuation in metallic plate of finite thickness. Simulation results show that there is an EC reflection at the bottom of plate, which changes the law of EC attenuation. A new concept, namely the equivalent attenuation coefficient, is proposed to quantify the speed of EC attenuation. The characteristics of EC attenuation are utilized to explain the nonmonotonic relation between coil voltage and plate thickness. Procedure of selecting frequency is discussed. Thereafter, measurement of plate thickness is carried out and accurate result is obtained.

Eddy Current Test for Detection of Foreign Material using Rotating Probe

There are several elements that affect on the integrity of steam generator tubes. One of the elements is loose parts located on outside of the tubes. It causes erosion which is possible to lead fatal defect like crack on the outside surface of the tubes. In this study, artificial loose parts on Inconel 690 tube are demonstrated and eddy current testing data of the region is acquired using rotating probe. Ferromagnetic and nonmagnetic foreign materials were used to demonstrate artificial loose parts. Eddy current channel of 100 KHz frequency shows definite signals of those foreign materials but stainless steel was not clearly detected. This result can be explained based on the electrical conductivity of the materials and it can be confirmed with lissajous window and C-scan. In addition, no indication was detected when the distance of the gap between the foreign materials and the tube is increased to more than 3 mm under this test condition. Based on these experimental inspections, we were able to find suitable methods for analyzing the signals obtained under various conditions that could occur when conducting steam generator eddy current test in NPP.

MAPOD Analysis in Eddy Current Testing of Flaws Considering Multiple Response Signals and Multiple Flaw Parameters

The reliability of the eddy current testing (ECT) in flaw detection is quantitatively evaluated by theprobability of detection (POD). Precise and efficient modeling of POD gives direction for the implement of ECTon sites to avoid false or missing flaw detection. Traditional POD analysis focuses on single uncertain factor orsingle response signal with limited credibility in engineering. This paper considers multiple response signals andmultiple flaw parameters to perform POD. The flaw length, the flaw depth, the coil impedance, and the magneticflux density are comprehensively studied under various lift-off distances. A finite element model (FEM) of ECT isestablished and verified with experiments to obtain sufficient simulation data for discrete POD modeling. Thecontinuous POD function is then fitted based on the discrete values to show the superiority of integrating multiplefactors. A comparison with conventional POD analysis further demonstrates the higher reliability of ECT flawdetection considering multiple flaw parameters and multiple response signals, especially for small flaws.

Information Entropy of Angular Spectrum for Quantitatively Evaluating Eddy Current Distribution Varying in Time Domain

Eddy current (EC) distribution induced by EC sensors determines the interaction between the defectin the testing specimen and the EC, so quantitatively evaluating EC distribution is crucial to the design of ECsensors. In this study, two indices based on the information entropy are proposed to evaluate the EC energyallocated in different directions. The EC vectors induced by a rotational field EC sensor varying in the timedomain are evaluated by the proposed methods. Then, the evaluating results are analyzed by the principle ofEC testing. It can be concluded that the two indices can effectively quantitatively evaluate the EC distributionsvarying in the time domain and are used to optimize the parameters of the rotational EC sensors.

Ultra-Thin Flexible Eddy Current Sensor Array for Gap Measurements

An ultra-thin flexible eddy current proximity sensor array was developed for online measurements of tiny gaps between large smooth metallic and nonmetallic surfaces of arbitrary shapes. The probe of the flexible eddy current sensor array, which includes a set of sensor coils, is fabricated on a thin flexible substrate using the flexible printed circuit board process which allows the probe to be very thin and flexible so that it can conform to the surface geometry of the measured objects. The sensor coils are connected to an inductance-capacitance oscillator, which converts the distance between the sensor coil and the metallic target to a frequency output. Experimental results show that the measurement accuracy of the sensor system can reach ±0.5% for a 2-mm gap and the sensor system is suitable for online gap measurements.

Mechanical and electrical properties of Pd-Ru system doped with Zr, Mo, Y

The effect of Zr, Mo, Y dopant on mechanical and electrical properties of Pd-Ru binary alloy was investigated in this work. The alloys were prepared in a vacuum high-frequency melting furnace. X-ray diffraction and metallographic microscope were employed to detect the microstructures of alloys. Electric bridge and eddy current conductive instrument were employed to test the electrical resistivity, and the mechanical properties of alloys were tested by AG-X100KN-type tensile testing machine. The results show that adding rare metal elements into Pd-Ru system could refine the structure effectively and increase the melting point, density, tensile strength, and hardness of alloy, but the elongation and electrical conductivity of alloy decrease. © The Nonferrous Metals Society of China and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012.

Pulsed Eddy Current Signal Denoising Based on Singular Value Decomposition

The noise as an undesired phenomenon often appears in the pulsed eddy current testing(PECT)signal, and it is difficult to recognize the character of the testing signal. One of the most common noises presented in the PECT signal is the Gaussian noise, since it is caused by the testing environment. A new denoising approach based on singular value decomposition(SVD) is proposed in this paper to reduce the Gaussian noise of PECT signal. The approach first discusses the relationship between signal to noise ratio(SNR) and negentropy of PECT signal. Then the Hankel matrix of PECT signal is constructed for noise reduction, and the matrix is divided into noise subspace and signal subspace by a singular valve threshold. Based on the theory of negentropy, the optimal matrix dimension and threshold are chosen to improve the performance of denoising. The denoised signal Hankel matrix is reconstructed by the singular values of signal subspace, and the denoised signal is finally extracted from this matrix. Experiment is performed to verify the feasibility of the proposed approach, and the results indicate that the proposed approach can reduce the Gaussian noise of PECT signal more effectively compared with other existing approaches.

Parameters analysis and application of the differential excitation detection technology

A differential excitation probe based on eddy current testing technology was designed. Sheet specimens of Q 235 steel with prefabricated micro-cracks of different widths and of aluminum with prefabricated micro-cracks of different depths were detected through the designed detection system. The characteristics of micro-cracks can be clearly showed after signals processing through the short-time Fourier transform（ STFT）. By changing the parameter and its value in detecting process,the factors including the excitation frequency and amplitude,the lift-off effect and the scanning direction were discussed,respectively. The results showed that the differential excitation probe was insensitive to dimension and surface state of the tested specimen,while it had a high degree of recognition for micro-crack detection. Therefore,when the differential excitation detection technology was used for inspecting micro-crack of turbine blade in aero-engine,and smoothed pseudo Wigner-Ville distribution was used for signal processing,micro-cracks of 0. 3 mm depth and 0. 1 mm width could be identified. The experimental results might be useful for further research on engineering test of turbine blades of aero-engine.

Successes and challenges in non-destructive testing of aircraft composite structures

Composite materials are increasingly used in the aerospace industry.To fully realise the weight saving potential along with superior mechanical properties that composites offer in safety critical applications,reliable Non-Destructive Testing(NDT)methods are required to prevent catastrophic failures.This paper will review the state of the art in the field and point to highlight the success and challenges that different NDT methods are faced to evaluate the integrity of critical aerospace composites.The focus will be on advanced certificated NDT methods for damage detection and characterization in composite laminates for use in the aircraft primary and secondary structures.