EDDY CURRENT TESTING

A NEW BEGINNING

By: Jabran Younas

Applications
Metal thickness Alloy sorting Heat treat condition Heat damage Plating thickness Cladding Thickness Insulation Thickness Nonmetallic coating thickness vibration Diameter of tubing or bar stock Cracks Seams Porosity Corrosion Erosion Segregation Inclusion

Resistance

Inductive Reactance

Impedance

XL

Ohm's Law

R=L/A Resistivity (Ohm-cm) Conductivity (mho or % IACS)

Ohm's Law Faraday Law

Ohm's Law Faraday Law

emf=Nt
emf=Induced emf N= Number of Turns = Change in Flux

Ohm's Law Faraday Law

Lenzs Law

The direction of induced current is such as to oppose the cause producing it.

Ohm's Law

B=o/2 x I/r

Faraday Law
Lenzs Law Biot Savarts Law

Coils AC

Coils

Coils Magnetic Field Coils

Coils Coils Magnetic Field

Coils

Coils Magnetic Field Eddy Currents Magnetic Field Eddy Currents

Conducting Material

Conducting Material

Crack Detection
Magnetic Field From Test Coil Magnetic Field From Eddy Currents

Crack
Eddy Currents

Depth of Penetration & Skin Effect

Eddy current density is greatest at surface
Reduces exponentially with depth

At standard D of P = 1/e (37%) of surface value

= 50

r f

Effect Of Frequency

Effect of conductivity

Effect of Permeability

Depth

(Skin Depth) 1/e or 37 % of surface density

Eddy Current Density High Frequency High Conductivity High Permeability

Eddy Current Density Low Frequency Low Conductivity Low Permeability

Depth

Standard Depth of Penetration

Discontinuities
Crack parallel to eddy Currents - not detected Crack interrupts eddy Currents - detected

Edge effect
Edges produce signals just like cracks and mislead inspector
Different techniques can be used to avoid edge effect

Inductive Coupling

Lift Off and Fill Factor

Usually, 70-90% "fill-factor" is targeted for reliable inspection

Phase Lag

Eddy Current Variables Comparison

A Typical ECT Instrument

Types of Probes
Surface Probe External Probe

Internal Probe

Mode of 0peration
Absolute
Sensitive to both sudden and gradual changes in properties. Easy to interpret Show total length of long flaws Sensitive to drift due to temperature changes Sensitive to probe wobble Single Coil Absolute value of impedance and induced voltage is measured

Differential
Not Sensitive gradual changes in properties Difficult to interpret Detect only ends of long flaws Less Sensitive to drift due to temperature changes Less Sensitive to probe wobble Pair of coils Changes in impedance or induced voltage is mesured

Eddy Current Probes

Eddy Current Test Equipments

Digital Meter

Analogue Meter

Multi-Freq Equipments

Calibration Standards

Testing Procedure
Balance on sound portion Set Sensitivity (Drive Level & Gain) Set Frequencies Draw Calibration Curve Take signal with constant speed Note Phase lag and amplitude for each indication

Effect of frequency on signal

Effect of Frequency

44khz

22khz

5khz

Wobble

Dent

High Speed

Correct Speed

Signal Filtering

Signal+ Noise

Correct Filter is used

Incorrect Filter is used

Stripper

Thickness Monitoring Methodology

Stripper Tube Signal

Selection of Frequency

Selection of Probe

Defect Sizing

10% OD shown 36% OD

Defect Sizing
80% OD 60% OD 60% changed to 78% near support

Support

60% OD

80% OD

Defect Sizing

Wrong Indications

RFT Theory

RFT Zones

RFT Signals

Effect of Support plate

Tube Inspection

Depth Curve

Shielding Effect
Magnet

Non Magnetic Strip

Card Board

Magnetic Strip