Eddy current electromagnetic testing, eddy current. Pdf challenges in improving the performance of eddy current. Probescoil design probes mode of operation probes configuration probes shielding. The advantages and disadvantages of advanced ndt 08042015. Using array coils on a traditional probe design like this bobbin probe for heat exchangers improves the speed and probability of finding circumferential cracks and other flaws. Eddy current analysis technicians have been trained and certified in accordance to guidelines established by the american society of nondestructive testing. The practical application of nondestructive testing for. Nondestructive techniques based on eddy current testing. Falling under ect, pulsed eddy current pec utilizes magnetic field to be directed into a conductive tested sample for. Eddy current testing ect is an electromagnetic ndt technique widely used in nuclear, aerospace, power, petrochemical and other industries to. Every effort has been made to provide the most current information and references available as. Eddycurrent testing an overview sciencedirect topics. Pmt post maintenance testing qa quality assurance qap quality assurance program.
Eddy current inspection in aircraft industry nde2006 321 a typical response of a crack in 10 mm drill hole of aluminum block with technofours eddy current tester sdpc12 looks as shown in fig. It can be used for measuring corrosion, metal hardness and thickness of materials. Advantages and disadvantages of eddy current testing 6, 7. Eddy current inspection all of chapter overview coil types coil arrangements parameter sensitivity impedance testing operating frequency eddy current applications advantages and disadvantages magnetic particle inspection all of chapter 14 principles of magnetism. Computer based eddy current test instrument manufactured by highline automation. Ultrasonic pulseechoes and eddy current testing for. The target material must be at least three times thicker than the effective depth of the eddy currents to make the transducer successful because the transducer assumes that the eddy currents are localized near the surface of a semiinfinite solid and the actual eddy current amplitude decreases quadratically with distance.
Available from the national technical information service. Compared to other eddy current testing ect techniques this view can. The most common type of scanning is line scanning where an automated system is used to push the probe at a fixed speed. Squids have been successfully applied for eddy current testing in numerous other application areas. It detects material discontinuities and imperfections such as cracks, laminations, pores or cavities on the. Compare to other testing methods eddy current testing shows many advantages and applications. Jul 09, 2014 nondestructive testing ndt of aircraft is essential to the continued safety of passengers. Main advantages and disadvantages of eddy current testing are reported in table 2. Eddy currents, to put in simpler terms, are fields of alternating magnetic current that are produced when an alternating electric current travels via one or more coils in a probe assembly. Advantages of eddy current testing 1, when test, the coil does not require contact with the workpiece, but also without the coupling medium, so the detection speed.
In this paper, the advantages of the eddy current thermography technique and its applications for defect assessments are presented. Accurate calculation of ac loss of an inductor in power. Often employed for nonferrous alloy heat exchanger tubing used in power generation, chemical processing and other applications, eddycurrent testing also is used by fabricators and endusers to establish baseline data. Nasa preferred reliability practices, penetrant testing of aerospace materials, practice no.
Nondestructive testing ndt aims detection and characterisation of defects flaws discontinuities in a material without impairing the intended use of the material. The test equipment consists of a generator ac power supply, a test coil and recording equipment, e. Current testing at level 2, international atomic energy agency, vienna, 2011 pdf 5. It is also useful for a wide range of complex shapes and sizes of materials, allowing operators to quickly inspect large volumes and large surface areas. Eddy current testing et eddy current testing is based on the physical phenomenon that an electrical current through a coil will generate a magnetic field, which itself will induce an eddy current in electrically conductive materials.
It is applied across a variety of sectors such as nuclear, aerospace, power generation, petrochemical or. Advantages include its application in non destructive testing of materials, measuring thickness on paint coating over metallic surfaces, etc. Challenges in improving the performance of eddy current testing. Electromagnetic testing et, especially eddy current testing, is commonly used to inspect objects throughout their life cycle. Portable detects surface and subsurface discontinuities moderate speed immediate results sensitive to small discontinuities thickness sensitive. With greater control over instrument configuration, advanced ndt procedures can be optimised for particular inspections. Eddy current testing can be used on all electrically conducting materials with a reasonably smooth surface. The flow of eddy currents is always parallel to the surface. May 10, 2009 current rises to maximum and collapses as the current is reduced to zero. Non destructive testing eddy current testing, wirbelstrom. If a planar defect does not cross or interfere with the current then the defect will not be detected. Mt has limited ability to record data files and provide that.
Coil with single winding left, and coil with two windings right 6. When testing thickwalled ferromagnetic metal pipes with conventional internal probes, very low frequencies e. Normally the only permanent record will be a paper print out or computer file when using. Because of limitations to the eddy current phenomenon, it has been.
Eddy current testing is an inspection method that can be used for a variety of purposes including the detection of cracks and corrosion, material and coating thickness measurement, material identification and, in certain materials, heat treatment condition. Keywords nondestructive testing pulsed eddy currents material characterization structural integrity nondestructive evaluation 1 introduction despite its approximately. This, in turn, modulates the electrical frequency of the original current in a consistent way until a flaw in the metal surface or body disrupts the magnetic domain and distorts the. In this study the amount of the pearlite content is analyzed using the eddy current testing response. Advantages and disadvantages of selected nondestructive. Similarly, eddy current testing of wires of arbitrary length.
Understanding id eddycurrent inspection of heat exchanger. Simple, conventional inspection methods such as ultrasonic thickness testing can provide a useful, fast and lowcost method for assessing materials. Jul 09, 2011 eddy current is explained in the link given below. What are the advantages and disadvantages of eddy current testing.
The advantages of eddy current arrays multicoil arrays take eddy current technology many steps further. The eddy current technology the eddy current technology as per din en iso 15549 is a nondestructive and contactless method for testing materials. Pulsed eddy current nondestructive testing and evaluation. Recognizing limitations in eddycurrent testing sciencedirect. Early detection of these defects in production lines can save large sums of money in the metal industry. Eddy current testing is now a widely used and wellunderstood inspection technique for flaw detection as well as for thickness and conductivity measurements. The instrument is a dual channel dual frequency instrument. The eddy current testing programmed instruction series is two volumes which provide the background material you will need before you perform actual eddy current testing. Eddycurrent testing also commonly seen as eddy current testing and ect is one of many electromagnetic testing methods used in nondestructive testing ndt making use of electromagnetic induction to detect and characterize surface and subsurface flaws in conductive materials. Eddy current testing and its role in improving the long. Pulseechoes and eddy current testing techniques is presented to investigate. Eddy current testing technology 1st edition be exceptional 9 7 8 0 9 9 1 7 0 9 5 2 6.
Eddy current testing ect is one of the techniques employed in ndt 3, 4. If another electrical conductor is brought into the close proximity to this changing magnetic field, current will be induced in this second conductor. Eddy current testing uses an alternating electric current in a coil positioned near a target metal surface to generate a pulsating magnetic field in the metal. Eddy current inspection by ecworks ecworks originates from the oldest branch roots in germany and is specialised in the ndtservices business. Eddy current array in lieu of pt and mt for aerospace. Eddy current testing advantages ect is one of the most versatile forms of ndt testing in terms of portability and flaw detection. Can be time consuming supporting material not always available requires significant human thought and skill to be effective. So eddy current testing can be used to arrange materials and also find which heat treatment applied to the material. Still, the advantages greatly outweigh the disadvantages with top of the line equipment, probes, and experience that altec inc. Eddy current technique is an important electromagnetic nondestructive evaluation technique. It is the main advantage and use of eddy current testing method.
This makes testing of fibre reinforced plastics unfeasible. Equivalence partitioning it is a black box testing technique and it can be defined as dividing the input domain of data into the class of. Eddy current array eca theory, practice and application. Nondestructive testing has become a widely used solution for numerous types of industrial project in the manufacturing, construction, plant operation and other engineering sectors. Successful completion of these two volumes is dependent on prior completion of 5330. The primary disadvantage of eddy cur rent test systems. Need to access documents quickly while on the move. Eddy current technique is an important electromagnetic non. Nde technologies for the examination of heat exchangers and boiler tubes principles, advantages and limitations. The ability to detect defects in multilayer structures up to about 14 layers, without interference from the planar interfaces. Eddy current techniques employ alternating currents applied to a conducting coil held close to the test object. Introduction of eddy current introduction of eddy current brake circular eddy current brake linear eddy current brake how eddy current brake works. They are sweptfrequency eddy current, pulsed eddy currents and photoinductive eddy current imaging methods. Rao 9 et al investigated the basics of eddy current testing.
Eddy current ec testing is a no contact method for the inspection of metallic parts. Advantages and applications of eddy current thermography. Thus there is the loss of useful electrical energy in the form of heat. The material must be able to support a flow of electrical current. Eddy current testing technology eclipse scientific. The highline automation ec14 has a frequency range of 40hz to2 mhz the instrument will meet or exceed the requirements of appendix a. What are the advantages and disadvantages of eddy current. In eddy current testing different probes or transducers are used. However, the eddy current testing technique still needs to focus on t.
Advantages of eddy current testing 1, when test, the coil does not require contact with the workpiece, but also. Some of the limitations of eddy current testing include the following. Compared to ultrasonic testing ut, for instance, eddy current instruments are capable of subsurface inspections but cannot probe as deeply as ut instruments. To circumvent some of the shortcomings of conventional ect, other eddy current testing techniques were. The advantages and disadvantages of eddy current probes for the ndt as. Pdf applications of nondestructive testing techniques. Though it is considered as modern ndt method that has excellent capabilities beyond crack detection, it is obvious that there are limitation of using eddy current testing. This is the basis of eddy current testing, by monitoring the voltage across the coil in such an arrangement we can detect changes in the material of interest. Its widely used in power generation, oil and gas, aerospace, manufacturing, and other industries and is a fast, accurate way to inspect sheets, pipes, tubing, bolt holes, bars, and other ferrous and non. It is applied across a variety of sectors such as nuclear, aerospace, power generation, petrochemical or manufacturing industries. Surface must be accessible to probe rough surfaces interfere with test electrically conductive materials skill and training required time consuming for large areas.
Instrumentation eddy current instruments resonant circuits bridges impedance plane display analog meter. Examples of soil dynamic property and strength tests. Id eddycurrent ec inspection is a form of nondestructive testing ndt employed to help detect pitting, cracking and other concerns such as erosion and corrosion. Throughtransmission systems have also been implemented by renken 4. Pdf applications of nondestructive testing techniques for.
Eddy current testing eddy current testing is a nondestructive technique thats capable of detecting both surface and subsurface defects. What are the main limitations of eddy current technology in. Setup files can be saved digitally and easily transferred to others. This article looks to explore how eddy current testing ect can be effectively used to help in improving the long term reliability of aircraft by the detection of defects before they become critical, exploring ect theory, how it can be applied to aircraft and the key elements of this ndt technique. There is a major heat loss during cycling eddy currents due to friction in the magnetic circuit, especially where the core is saturated.
Any potential tube failure detected by eddy current testing can save thousands of dollars and prevent lengthy shut down time, during peak chiller season. Eddy current testing hareesha n g, dept of aero engg, dsce 2 3. The equipment requires minimal setup time and does not require hazardous chemical or radiation use. Physics electromagnetic induction part 14 eddy current. Eddycurrent testing is one of many electromagnetic testing methods used in nondestructive. L eddy cuent testing manual vol atomic energy of canada aecl7523 1981 3 dodd, c. The applications of these ndt techniques in additive manufacturing am and their suitability for. What are the main limitations of eddy current technology. Introduction eddy current inspection is one of several methods that use the principal of electromagnetism as the basis for conducting examinations. Advantages and disadvantages of eddy current testing are listed. Glen joined iei in 2004 and currently performs eddy current testing of commercial chillers and air conditioning units covering the states of washington, oregon, idaho, and. Defects disturb the eddy current circulation, resulting in a variation.
Benefits of eddy current testing eddy current offers the following capabilities. Check out this summary of the pros and cons of paper vs. Nasa preferred reliability practices, magnetic particle testing of aerospace materials, practice no. Main advantages one of the major advantages of eddy current as an ndt tool is the variety of inspections and measurements that can be performed. Note that cracks must interrupt the surface eddy current flow to be detected. Eddy current testing and its role in improving the long term. Some of the advantages of eddy current inspection include. The first part focuses on the development of different types of eddy current testing probes and their advantages and disadvantages. Eddy current testing also offers other advantages outside of flaw detection. The process relies upon a material characteristic known as electromagnetic induction. Remote field sensing eddy current testing for external defects in tubes where external access is not possible e. Similarly, many clients will find a colourcoded eca cscan simple to interpret compared with the conventional eddy current impedance plane display. Eddy current testing also commonly seen as eddy current testing and ect is one of many electromagnetic testing methods used in nondestructive testing ndt making use of electromagnetic induction to detect and characterize surface and subsurface flaws in conductive materials.
Advantagesdisadvantages of manual software testing. Eddy current testing is an ndt method used in conductive materials such as metallic plates, sheets, tubes, rods and bars for detection and sizing of material discontinuities during manufacturing or inservice. It is very important that the technician performing the ect eddy current test understands the various types of machines and tubing as well as the proper techniques in performing an ect. Quick, simple, and reliable inspection technique to detect surface and nearsurface defects in con. A variety of test systems have been used in pulsed reflection eddy current testing 1,2. Eddy current testing is a contactfree technique employed for examining metallic parts. Jun 03, 2014 introduction to eddy current inspection 1. Nondestructive testing ndt of aircraft is essential to the continued safety of passengers. References eddy current inspection metals handbook vol 11, nonestructive inspection and quality control 8th edition, asm, ohio 1976 pp 7592 2 cecco, v. Rao nondestructive evaluation division metallurgy and materials group indira gandhi center for atomic research kalpakkam 603 102, tn, india email. Eddy currents are induced electrical currents that flow in a circular path.
Ris procite, reference manager, endnote, bibtex, medlars, refworks. Eddy current data can be collected using automated scanning systems to improve the quality of the measurements and to construct images of scanned areas. Eddycurrent testing non destructive testing ndt wiki. There are many different ndt methods available, each of which has both advantages and disadvantages. Eddy current array in lieu of pt and mt for aerospace inspection. Eddy currents are fields of alternating magnetic current that are created when an alternatin. In certain documents mp inspection is recommended as just one method.
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