Eddy Current Testing

Eddy Current Principle. Digital image. Eddy Current Inspection Solution. Kontroll Technik, n.d. Web.
27 May 2015.

By : Ethan Gros
 Outline
Eddy Current Probe……………………………………………………………………....Slides 3-5

Eddy Current Penetration……………………………………………………………….Slide 6

Eddy Current Factors……………………………………………………………………..Slide 7

Conductivity………………………………………………………………………………….Slide 8

Permeability………………………………………………………………………………….Slide 8

Frequency…..…………………………………………………………………………………Slide 9

Eddy Current Edge Effect……………………………………………………………….Slide 10

Eddy Current Lift Off……………………………………………………………………..Slide 11

Eddy Current Array Testing…………………………………………………………….Slide 12

 Eddy Current Probe
 Eddy current testing is based on the physics of electromagnetic induction.

 In an eddy current probe, an alternating current flows through a coil and generates an
oscillating magnetic field - Ampere’s Law

 If the probe and its magnetic field are brought close to a conductive material like a
metal test piece, an electric magnetic field (emf) is induced resulting in induced
currents called eddy currents (like swirling water in a stream) - Faraday’s Law

Eddy Current Detection. Digital image. Eddy Current Inspection

Solution. Kontroll Technik, n.d. Web. 27 May 2015.
 Eddy Current Probe Cont.
 That eddy current flowing through the metal will in turn generate its own magnetic
field, which will interact with the coil and its field through mutual inductance.

 The eddy current instrument plots changes in the impedance amplitude and phase
angle, which can be used to identify changes in the test piece.

Nelligan, Tom, and Cynthia Calderwood. Eddy Current Testing. Digital image. Olympus. Olympus
Corporation, n.d. Web. 27 May 2015.
 Eddy Current Probe Cont.

Eddy Current Detection. Digital image. Eddy Current Inspection

Solution. Kontroll Technik, n.d. Web. 27 May 2015.

 Changes in metal thickness or defects like near-surface cracking will interrupt or alter
the amplitude and pattern of the eddy current and the resulting magnetic field. This in
turn affects the (inductance and resistance) impedance of the coil.

 Eddy current density is highest near the surface of the part, so that is the region of
highest test resolution.

 Eddy current density decreases exponentially with depth. Hence

 To detect surface breaking defects in a material, and also to measure the thickness of thin
sheets, very high frequencies are used.
 Similarly, to detect subsurface defects, and to test highly conductive, magnetic, or thick
materials, lower frequencies must be used.
 Eddy Current Penetration
 The standard depth of penetration is defined as the depth at which the eddy current density is
37% of its surface value - can be calculated from the test frequency and the magnetic
permeability and conductivity of the test material.

 The formula to calculate the Standard depth of

penetration (aka. Skin Depth):
1
𝛿≈
𝜋 ∗𝒻∗𝜇∗𝜎
Where:
𝛿 = Standard depth of penetration (mm)
𝜋 = 3.14…
𝒻 = Test Frequency (Hz)
𝜇 = Magnetic Permeability (H/mm)
𝜎 = Electrical Conductivity

Depth of Penetration. Digital image. Olympus. Olympus Corporation, n.d. Web.

26 May 2015 .
 Eddy Current Factors

Variations in the conductivity of the test material, its

magnetic permeability, the frequency of the AC driving the coil,
and coil geometry will all have an effect on test sensitivity,
resolution, and penetration as seen in the skin depth equation

1
𝛿≈
𝜋 ∗𝒻∗𝜇∗𝜎
 Conductivity/ Permeability
1
𝛿≈ For fixed frequency and permeability -
𝜋 ∗𝒻∗𝜇∗𝜎

 Higher conductivity implies smaller skin depth or less penetration i.e.

more sensitive to surface defects and oxide layer thickness

 Lower conductivity implies larger skin depth or more penetration but

more diffuse fields, i.e. less sensitivity to surface defects and oxide layer
thickness.
1
𝛿≈ For fixed frequency and conductivity -
𝜋 ∗𝒻∗𝜇∗𝜎

 Variations in permeability of a material generate noise that can limit flaw

resolution because of greater background variations.
 Frequency
 Higher test frequencies increase near surface resolution, but limit the
depth of penetration.

 Lower test frequencies decreases near surface resolution, but increase

penetration.

 Sweeping through multiple frequencies helps to optimize results, or

utilizing multiple probes to obtain the best resolution and penetration
required to detect all possible flaws.

Wave Frequency Definition. Digital image. Wave Frequency.

TutorVisa, n.d. Web. 10 June 2015.
 Eddy Current Edge Effect
 For most eddy current techniques, the eddy current path is circular and parallel to
the surface of the part. If the flow of eddy currents intercepts an edge, corner, or
radius of the part, the circular pattern is disrupted and the eddy currents are
confined to a smaller volume. This action changes the magnitude and distribution
of the eddy currents and is known as edge effect.

 As illustrated, the current density will be slightly greater at the edge of the part
than at the interior. Basically the edge acts as a large defect producing a large
signal, which can mask a small defect indication near the edge – making it difficult
to detect defects near the edge

Figure 4-7. Distortion of Eddy Current Flow at the Edge of a Part. Digital
image. Figure 4-7. Distortion of Eddy Current Flow at the Edge
of a Part. Integrated Publishing, Inc., n.d. Web. 10 June 2015.
 Eddy Current Lift Off
 The distance between the coil and the
conductive material is called liftoff, and this
distance affects the mutual inductance.

 Liftoff can be used to make measurements of

the thickness of nonconductive coatings, such
as an oxide layer, that hold the probe a certain
distance from the surface of the conductive
Eddy Current Principle. Digital image. Eddy Current Inspection
Solution. Kontroll Technik, n.d. Web. 27 May 2015.
material.

 Increasing the lift off, decreases the eddy

current probe signal because the magnetic flux
interacts less with the conductive material.

 Decreasing the lift off, increases the eddy

current probe signal because the magnetic flux
interacts more with the conductive material.

Eddy Current Principle. Digital image. Eddy Current Inspection

Solution. Kontroll Technik, n.d. Web. 27 May 2015.
 Eddy Current Array Testing
 Eddy Current Array testing, or ECA, is a technology that
provides the ability to simultaneously use multiple eddy
current coils that are placed side by side in the same probe
assembly.
 This allows for larger areas to be covered in a single pass
while maintaining high resolution.

A New Method of Eddy Current Testing Insensitive to Defect Orientation.

Digital image. E-Journal of Advanced Maintenance (EJAM) - Top
Page. TOSHIBA Corporation, n.d. Web. 10 June 2015.
 Work Cited
Depth of Penetration. Digital image. Olympus. Olympus Corporation, n.d. Web. 26 May 2015.

"Distortion of Eddy Current Flow at the Edge of a Part." Integrated. Integrated Publishing, Inc., n.d. Web. 10 June 2015.

Eddy Current Detection. Digital image. Eddy Current Inspection Solution. Kontroll Technik, n.d. Web. 27 May 2015.

Eddy Current Principle. Digital image. Eddy Current Inspection Solution. Kontroll Technik, n.d. Web. 27 May 2015.

Figure 4-7. Distortion of Eddy Current Flow at the Edge of a Part. Digital image. Figure 4-7. Distortion of Eddy Current Flow at
the Edge of a Part. Integrated Publishing, Inc., n.d. Web. 10 June 2015.

"Mutual Inductance." Mutual Inductance. National Science Foundation, n.d. Web. 28 May 2015.

Nelligan, Tom, and Cynthia Calderwood. Eddy Current Testing. Digital image. Olympus. Olympus Corporation, n.d. Web. 27 May
2015.

Nelligan, Tom, and Cynthia Calderwood. "Knowledge." Introduction to Eddy Current Testing. Olympus Corporation, n.d. Web. 26
May 2015.

A New Method of Eddy Current Testing Insensitive to Defect Orientation. Digital image. E-Journal of Advanced Maintenance
(EJAM) - Top Page. TOSHIBA Corporation, n.d. Web. 10 June 2015.

Wave Frequency Definition. Digital image. Wave Frequency. TutorVisa, n.d. Web. 10 June 2015.