Doc. - Eddy Current Testing Basic Principle

Eddy Current Testing-Basic Training
 Eddy Current NDT is a technique that

can test metals for flaws either during
the manufacturing process or as a
consequence of age or environment.
 It is a highly sensitive technique and
completely Non-Destructive. (No
damage to test object)
 It is quick, safe and cost-effective to
use.
Eddy Current Theory
When a voltage is applied to a circuit
containing resistive elements, current
flows according to ohm’s law
I=V/R or V=I.R
 Eddy Current Theory
If a circuit consists of more than one element,
the overall voltages, resistance and
capacitance can be calculated as follows
V1=I.R1
V2=I.R2
Vtot = V1+V2=I.R1+I.R2=I(R1+R2)=I.Rtot
Theory – Electromagnetic Induction
Current passing through a coil creates a
magnetic field
A moving magnetic field would induce a

voltage in an electrical conductor
 The meter needle will deflect one way
when current is applied and then back
the other way when it is removed
 A voltage is only induced when the
magnetic field is changing.
 A voltage is also induced in the first
winding, apposing the change in the
applied voltage
 Inductance is defined as
Induced Voltage = L di/dt

 If an AC current flows through an inductor,the

voltage across the inductor will be at maximum
when the rate of change of current is greatest.
 For a sinusoidal wave, this is at the point where
the actual current is zero
 The voltage applied to an inductor
reaches its maximum value a quarter
cycle before the current does
 The voltage leads the current by 90

degrees
 The value of the voltage and current
can be calculated as follows
V = I.XL
XL = inductive reactance (XL=2 pi f L)
F = frequency in Hz
 Current flow in AC Circuits – Impedance
Same basic principle as in DC circuits, but the

maximum voltage across the resistance
coincides with the zero voltage across the
inductor and vice versa
 Current flow in AC circuits - Impedance
 We can represent this graphically using
a vector diagram
Eddy Current Theory – Testing
When an AC current flows in a coil in
close proximity to a conducting surface,
the magnetic field of the coil will induce
circulating(eddy) currents in that
surface.
The magnitude and phase of the eddy
currents will affect the loading on the
coil and thus its impedance
 Eddy Current Theory - Testing
 Eddy Current Theory - testing
 A deep crack in the surface below the
coil will interrupt or reduce the eddy
current flow, thus decreasing the
loading of the coil and increasing its
effective impedence
 By monitoring the voltage across the
coil we can detect changes in the test
material
 Eddy Current Theory – Testing
Cracks MUST interrupt the surface eddy
current flow to be detected
 Factors affecting Eddy Current response
Material conductivity
- Greater the conductivity greater the
eddy current flow

- conductivity depends on material
composition, heat treatment, work
hardening etc etc
Permeability
Described as the ease with which a material can
be magnetised
For nFe metals and austinitic S.Steel, the
permeability (mr)is 1 (as for free space)
For Fe metals the value of mr may be several
hundred, thus influencing the eddy current
response
Permeability may vary within a metal part due to
localised stresses, heating effects etc
Frequency
Eddy current response is greatly affected

by the test frequency, but this property
can be controlled
Factors affecting Eddy Current response
Geometry
Curvature,edges,grooves etc will affect
the eddy current response
When the material thickness is less than
the effective depth of penetration, this
will also affect the eddy current
response
Proximity / Lift-off
The closer the probe coil to the surface, greater
the effect on the coil. This has two main
effects
1. Lift off signal as the probe is moved on and
off the surface
2. A reduction in sensitivity as the “coil to
product” spacing increases
Depth of Penetration
The eddy current density is greatest on the
surface of the metal and declines with depth
Depth of penetration
-decreases with an increase in frequency
-decreases with an increase in conductivity
-decreases with an increase in permeability
 Effective Depth of Penetration
It is defined as three times the standard

depth, where eddy current density has
fallen to 3% of the surface value
 The Impedance Plane
This is a graphical representation of the

complex probe impedance where the X-
value represents the resistance and the
Y-value represents the inductive
reactance
The display of CRT instrument represents a window in
to the impedance plane
Above example shows probe on Aluminium

 Coil Configurations – Absolute (Single Coil)
Surface probes – probe axis normal to the
surface
Encircling coils – the product to be tested is
inserted through a circular coil
ID probes – for heat exchanger inspection
(normally wound with the coil axis along the
center of the tube)
Absolute probes are good for metal sorting and
detection of cracks
 Coil Configurations – Differential (two coils)
Differential probe has two sensing elements
looking at different areas of the material
being tested. The instrument shows the
difference between the eddy current
conditions at the two points
Good for detection of small defects and are
relatively unaffected by lift-off, temperature
changes and external interference
 Differential probe response
 The figure of “8” is formed based on response from first

element and then the second element move over the defect
 The lift off is cancelled out, but there is still wobble response as
the probe is moved and tilted slightly
 Coil Configurations – Reflection/driver
pick-up probes
They have a primary winding driven from the oscillator
and one of more sensor windings connected to the
measurement circuit
Coil Configurations – Reflection/driver
pickup probes
Advantages
Driver and pickup coils can be separately
optimised for their intended purpose
Wider frequency range
The larger driver coil gives more even
field, resulting in better penetration and
lift-off characteristics
 Typical Coil Connections – Bridge
 The two coils (differential or absolute + balancing coil) form the legs
of the bridge. When the bridge is balanced, the measured voltage will
be zero. Any change in the condition of either coil will result in an
unbalanced bridge, the degree of imbalance corresponds to the
change in coil impedance
 Typical Coil Connections – Driver pickup
The essential elements are same as bridge type. The necessary

changes can be achieved by simple switching or probe
connection changes
 Practical testing requirements
-A suitable probe
-An instrument with the necessary capabilities
-A good idea of size, location and type of flaws
-A suitable test standard to set up the
equipment
-A procedure or accept/reject criteria
-Operator expertise to understand and interpret
the results
 Eddy Current Instruments
-Special purpose equipment
-Crack Detectors
-Portable Impedance plane equipment
-”Systems” Eddy Current units
 Special Purpose Equipment
Coating Thickness Meters, Conductivity

meters etc
Generally designed to give a digital

readout without demanding
interpretation of an indication
 Crack Detectors
Generally operates at a restricted number

of frequencies typically several hundred
KHz, meter or bargraph display
Suitable for surface crack detection and
simple sorting applications
 Portable Impedance Plane Equipment
Impedance plane display on CRT, wide

frequency ranges, multifrequency
operation to reduce specific interfering
effects
 Systems Eddy Current Units
Intended for factory operation, often in

automatic or semi-automatic inspection
mode.
 Eddy Current testing – Applications
-Surface crack detection
-Non-ferrous metal sorting
-Sub-surface crack/corrosion detection
-Heat exchanger tube testing
-In-line inspection of steel tubing
-Ferrous Weld Inspection

Doc. - Eddy Current Testing Basic Principle

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Doc. - Eddy Current Testing Basic Principle

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Eddy Current Testing-Basic Training

 Eddy Current NDT is a technique that

A moving magnetic field would induce a

Induced Voltage = L di/dt

 If an AC current flows through an inductor,the

 The voltage leads the current by 90

XL = inductive reactance (XL=2 pi f L)

Same basic principle as in DC circuits, but the

eddy current flow

Eddy current response is greatly affected

It is defined as three times the standard

This is a graphical representation of the

Above example shows probe on Aluminium

 The figure of “8” is formed based on response from first

The essential elements are same as bridge type. The necessary

Coating Thickness Meters, Conductivity

Generally designed to give a digital

Generally operates at a restricted number

Impedance plane display on CRT, wide

Intended for factory operation, often in

You might also like