Eddy-current testing

Alternating current eld measurement

Eddy-current testing uses electromagnetic induction to

detect aws in conductive materials. There are several
limitations, among them: only conductive materials can
be tested, the surface of the material must be accessible,
the nish of the material may cause bad readings, the
depth of penetration into the material is limited by the
materials conductivity, and aws that lie parallel to the
probe may be undetectable.

Cover Meter
Metal detector

2 References

In a standard eddy current testing a circular coil carrying

current is placed in proximity to the test specimen (which
must be electrically conductive).The alternating current
in the coil generates changing magnetic eld which interacts with test specimen and generates eddy current. Variations in the phase and magnitude of these eddy currents
can be monitored using a second 'receiver' coil, or by
measuring changes to the current owing in the primary
'excitation' coil. Variations in the electrical conductivity
or magnetic permeability of the test object, or the presence of any aws, will cause a change in eddy current and
a corresponding change in the phase and amplitude of the
measured current. This is the basis of standard (at coil)
eddy current inspection, the most widely used eddy current technique.

[1] Pulsed Eddy-Current Testing. Retrieved on July 18, 2012.

[2] Background on Pulsed Eddy Current. Retrieved on July
18, 2012

3 External links
An introduction to eddy current testing from the
NDE/NDT resource center
Intro to Eddy Current Testing by Joseph M. Buckley
(pdf, 429 kB)
Eddy Current Testing at Level 2, International
Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, 2011 (pdf 5.6
MB).

However, eddy-current testing can detect very small

cracks in or near the surface of the material, the surfaces need minimal preparation, and physically complex
geometries can be investigated. It is also useful for making electrical conductivity and coating thickness measurements.
The testing devices are portable, provide immediate feedback, and do not need to contact the item in question. Recently tomographic notion of ECT has been explored see
for example:
Another eddy-current testing technique is pulsed eddycurrent testing. A major advantage of this type of
testing is that there is no need for direct contact with
the tested object. The measurement can be performed
through coatings, weather sheetings, corrosion products
and insulation materials.[1] This way even high temperature inspections are possible. Compared to the conventional eddy-current testing, pulsed eddy-current testing
allows multi-frequency operation.[2]

See also
Eddy current
Nondestructive testing
1

4 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

4.1

Text

Eddy-current testing Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddy-current%20testing?oldid=626747701 Contributors: Kjkolb, A2Kar,

Wtshymanski, Plrk, BD2412, Conscious, 2over0, ArglebargleIV, John, Terrible Swede, CmdrObot, AuKNiFe, Davidmack, Nicholas0,
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Anonymous: 30

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Images

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Contributors:
Created from scratch in Adobe Illustrator. Based on Image:Question book.png created by User:Equazcion Original artist:
Tkgd2007

4.3

Content license

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