Beruflich Dokumente
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H. THOMAS YOLKEN
E
ven though eddy current testing is one of the oldest non-
destructive evaluation methods, it was not widely under-
stood and did not reach full, widespread use until the
1980s (Ref. 1). Whereas portable ultrasonic instrumentation
offering considerable versatility for nondestructive testing
(NDT) has been available since the 1960s, comparable eddy cur-
rent testing equipment was not widely available until the 1980s.
In addition, eddy current theory did not become available until
the late 1970s. Now, excellent tutorial information is available for
scientists and engineers without advanced degrees.
Reprinted with permission from AMMTIAC Quarterly, 2007, 1(4): 711; http://ammtiac.alionscience.com/quarterly.
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A B C D
Fig. 2 Four types of eddy current instruments. A A simple arrangement, in which voltage across the coil is monitored; B typical
impedance bridge; C impedance bridge with dual coils; D impedance bridge with dual coils and a reference sample in the second
coil (Ref. 2). (Reprinted with permission of ASM International. All rights reserved. www.asminternational.org.)
Fig. 3 A senior airman uses eddy current to locate surface Fig. 4 A Royal Air Force airman checks for potential flaws on
cracks on a C-5 flange. (Photo taken by Staff Sgt. Matt McGovern an aircraft using eddy current. (Photo taken by Staff Sgt.
and provided courtesy of the U.S. Air Force.) Rhiannon Willard and provided courtesy of the U.S. Air Force.)
century in the late 1990s and early 2000s, giant magnetoresis- Physical Principles
tive3 sensors were utilized to allow multifrequency techniques at
Eddy current NDT is based on the principles of electromag-
very low frequencies to probe for flaws deep in multilayer metal-
netic induction for inducing eddy currents4 in a material or part
lic aircraft structures.
placed in or adjacent to one or more alternating flux field induc-
tion coils (Ref. 2). The system is operated at very low power lev-
3. Giant magnetoresistance is a phenomenon where the els to minimize heating and temperature changes. The loop cur-
application of a magnetic field reduces the electrical resistance of rents induced in the material produce an additional magnetic
certain materials by a significant margin. field, and a sensor is used to measure the total magnetic field
near the specimen. The value of the total magnetic field depends
4. An eddy current is an electrical current that flows in a circular on several factors including the following:
path or loop and is induced by an applied magnetic field. Geometry of the induction coil
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A B C D
Fig. 5 Several fabricated discontinuities used as reference standards in eddy current inspection (Ref. 2). (Reprinted with permission
of ASM International. All rights reserved. www.asminternational.org.)
Types of Discontinuities
There are a number of different discontinuities that can be Fig. 6 A U.S. Air Force airman nondestructive inspection
detected with eddy current NDT. In metallic structures, welds, apprentice checks for defects on a training aircraft part by
fatigue cracks, voids, hidden corrosion and stress corrosion performing an eddy current inspection. (Photo taken by Staff Sgt.
cracks can be detected (Fig. 3), and the size of such defects can Michael B. Keller and provided courtesy of the U.S. Air Force.)
also be determined. The geometry of the part and the defect
location dictate the size of the flaw that can be detected. For
example, automated and manual eddy current inspection of gas
mined using eddy current NDT. Eddy current NDT can be used
turbine engine disks can reliably detect cracks as small as 0.023
on conducting materials including metals, alloys, carbon/epoxy
in. in length in bolt holes of seventh stage compressor disks
composites, carbon/carbon composites, and metallic matrix
(Ref. 3). Defects such as delaminations, voids, and broken fibers
composites.
from impact damage can be detected in graphite epoxy com-
posites. While in carbon/carbon composites for high-tempera-
ture use, eddy current NDT can be used to determine the thick- Inspection Requirements
ness of the silicon carbide (SiC) coating used on carbon/carbon There are no special facility requirements for eddy current
composite for oxidation protection. In addition, voids caused by NDT, and portable instrumentation is available for field applica-
oxidation between the SiC coating and the carbon/carbon base tions such as aircraft inspection, as shown in Fig. 4. Rugged
can be detected and carbon loss due to oxidation can be deter- eddy current equipment is also available for use in manufactur-
ing environments to inspect metallic products as they are being
5. Reluctance in a magnetic system is akin to resistance in an processed. There is no special material preparation for testing,
electrical system. but a smooth surface produces optimum results. Eddy current
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Direct
Remote
Tube OD Tube ID
Field Zone
Coupling
Zone
Fig. 7 Schematic showing location of remote-field zone in relation to exciter coil and direct coupling zone (Ref. 2). (Reprinted with
permission of ASM International. All rights reserved. www.asminternational.org.)
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A B
Fig. 10 Typical applications for low-frequency eddy current testing. A Interstitial corrosion; B thinning (Ref. 4). (Copyright 2004
The American Society for Nondestructive Testing, Inc. Reprinted with permission from NDT Handbook, third edition, Vol. 5,
Electromagnetic Testing.)
Discontinuity types (e.g., what types the method can detect) Cracks
Holes
Corrosion
Damage in C/C composites
Size of discontinuities Depends on geometry, etc., but down to 0.020 in. for jet turbine engine
fatigue cracks at or near the surface
Limitations Material must be electrically conducting
Depth of inspection limited by frequency of eddy currents used
Not effective for cracks deep in thick-sectioned metallic structures
Advantages Can detect discontinuities that do not break the surface
Quantitative flaw sizing
Can be automated for repetitive inspections
Inspector training (level and/or availability) Usually required, with commercial or military training schools available
Inspector certification required Depends on application
Certification available through the American Society for Nondestructive
Testing (ASNT)
Equipment Except for very simple equipment, must have computer control and
data logging. Automated scanning is also available. Single frequency or
multifrequency equipment is available.
Relative cost of inspections Can be labor intensive if used manually on large areas such as airplane
skins and rivets. Equipment costs vary from a modest amount to
$100,000 or more.
of the tube or pipe can be inspected for corrosion/erosion wall Selected Examples of Eddy Current
thinning, pitting, and cracks. The technique is equally sensitive Applications
to axial and circumferential flaws. The major disadvantage is
that when applied to nonmagnetic materials, the sensitivity is Eddy current NDT is widely used to inspect for corrosion
generally decreased. and cracking in airplane wing skins at rivet holes and in aircraft
frames (Ref. 4). Modern commercial eddy current instrumenta-
Advantages and Disadvantages of Eddy tion capable of operating down to 60 Hz with small eddy current
probes is now available to detect small fatigue cracks below the
Current Testing surface in aircraft airframes with more sensitivity than X-ray
There are several advantages to using the method of eddy radiography. Fatigue cracks can also be detected in layered
current testing. These typically include structures such as an aircraft window belt splice, which is illus-
Reasonable cost trated in Fig. 9A. The technique produces easily interpreted
Availability of a wide variety of commercial, off-the-shelf crack responses on a screen display, as shown in Fig. 9B, C.
instruments These cracks were detected in the first row of rivets above
Automation potential the longitudinal belt splice of aircraft windows. The cracks initi-
Good sensitivity to small flaws at or near the surface of the ated at the fastener holes in the internal (second layer) skin and
sample grew in a longitudinal direction. Corrosion of multilayer aircraft
Capability for quantitative flaw sizing skins can also be readily detected with eddy current techniques,
Portable equipment as shown in Fig. 10.
The disadvantages of eddy current NDT include the lack of Eddy current techniques are also in widespread use to detect
capability to detect flaws that are deep in thick-section metallic fatigue cracks in critical aircraft jet engines components, such as
structures and the restriction for application to only conducting blades and turbine disk during overhaul. For discontinuities
materials. Figure 8 gives the standard depths of penetration of more than 0.07-in.- (1.8-mm-) long fluorescent penetrant inspec-
eddy currents as a function of frequency for several metals of tion will usually suffice. However, for cracks below 0.07 in. (1.8
various electrical conductivities. mm) in length, eddy current NDT is usually required.
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26 INSPECTION TRENDS