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Eddy Current Testing Applications

Eddy current testing can be used for a variety of inspection applications due to its versatility. It can measure material thickness, detect flaws and cracks, measure coating thickness, and determine variations in conductivity and permeability. Material thickness measurements are possible because thicker materials generate stronger eddy currents than thinner materials. Eddy current testing is commonly used in aviation and power industries to inspect for corrosion, erosion, and cracks. It is highly sensitive at detecting surface-breaking cracks.

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201 views21 pages

Eddy Current Testing Applications

Eddy current testing can be used for a variety of inspection applications due to its versatility. It can measure material thickness, detect flaws and cracks, measure coating thickness, and determine variations in conductivity and permeability. Material thickness measurements are possible because thicker materials generate stronger eddy currents than thinner materials. Eddy current testing is commonly used in aviation and power industries to inspect for corrosion, erosion, and cracks. It is highly sensitive at detecting surface-breaking cracks.

Uploaded by

vibinkumars
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Eddy current Testing

Applications
Inspection Applications
One of the major advantages of eddy current as an NDT tool is
the variety of inspections that can be performed. The following
slides depict some of the these capabilities.
Eddy current Methods

• Conductivity Measurement
• Flaw Measurement
• Coating thickness Measurement
Material Thickness Measurement

• Thickness measurements are possible with eddy current


inspection within certain limitations.
• Only a certain amount of eddy currents can form in a
given volume of material.
• Therefore, thicker materials will support more eddy
currents than thinner materials.
• The strength (amount) of eddy currents can be measured
and related to the material thickness.
Magnetic Field
From Probe

Test
Material

Eddy Currents
Material Thickness Measurement (cont.)

Eddy current inspection is often used in the aviation


industries to detect material loss due to corrosion and
erosion.
Material Thickness Measurement (cont.)

Eddy current inspection is used extensively to inspect


tubing at power generation and petrochemical facilities for
corrosion and erosion.
Conductivity Measurement
• Each element have its own
conductivity due to its
inherent properties (chemical
composition, Method of
manufacturing/processing)
• Normally measured in % IACS
• Mainly for Non magnetic
materials
• Need to saturate the
magnetic materials to
suppress the Permeability
affects
Nonconductive Coating Measurement

Nonconductive coatings on electrically conductive substrates


can be measured very accurately with eddy current
inspection. (Accuracy of less that one mil is not uncommon.)
 The coating displaces the eddy current probe from the conductive
base material and this weaken the strength of the eddy currents.
 This reduction in strength can be measured and related to coating
thickness.

Nonconductive
Coating

Conductive
Base Metal

Eddy Currents
Nonconductive Coating Measurement
(cont.)
The photo to the left shows an aircraft panel paint thickness
inspection. On the right, the display of a digital eddy current
inspection instrument shows the different signals obtained
by measuring eight different thicknesses of paint on
aluminum.

Increasing paint
thickness
Monitoring Conductivity and Permeability
Variations
Eddy current inspection is sensitive to changes in a material’s
electrical conductivity and magnetic permeability. This
“sensitivity” allows the inspection method to be used for such
inspection procedures as:
• Material Identification
• Material Sorting
• Determination of heat damage
• Cladding and plating thickness measurement
• Heat treatment monitoring
Conductivity Measurements

Boeing employees in Philadelphia were given the privilege


of evaluating the Liberty Bell for damage using NDT
techniques. Eddy current methods were used to measure
the electrical conductivity of the Bell's bronze casing at a
various points to evaluate its uniformity.
Sorting

• Sorting of materials based on their


conductivity values.
• The Conductivity ranges of the alloys should
not overlap
Hardness measurement

• Useful for measuring Hardness of non


magnetic materials.
• Conductivity increases as hardness decreases

Heat Treatment Variations

Due to Heat treatment variations,


material hardness varies which directly
affects the conductivity of a non magnetic
material.
Temperature

• Temperature changes will affect the thermal


motion of the electrons and lattice expansion
which in turn affects the Conductivity.
Discontinuity

• Discontinuities will disturb the eddy


current path.
• Ability of detection depends on many
properties coil arrangement etc.
Crack Detection

Crack detection is one of the primary uses of eddy current


inspection. Cracks cause a disruption in the circular flow
patterns of the eddy currents and weaken their strength. This
change in strength at the crack location can be detected.

Magnetic Field
From Test Coil

Magnetic Field
From
Eddy Currents

Crack
Eddy Currents
Crack Detection (cont.)

Eddy current inspection is exceptionally well suited for the


detection of cracks, with an especially high sensitivity to
detection of surface breaking cracks.
Crack Detection (cont.)

Eddy current inspection of “bead seat” area on aircraft wheel


for cracks using special probe that conforms to the shape of the
rim.
Crack Detection (cont.)

Loading points, such as fastener holes, are high stress areas


and often the site of service induced fatigue cracking. Rotating
probe guns can be used to inspect a large number of holes in a
short period of time. The photo on the right is a waterfall plot
of the cross section of a fastener hole. Each horizontal line
represents one rotation of the probe gun. A vertical signal
indicates a crack.
Crack Detection (cont.)
THANK YOU

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