An Opening Profile Recognition Method for Magnetic Flux Leakage Signals of Defect

The defect opening profile recognition is of great concern in the magnetic flux leakage (MFL) measurement technique. The detected spatial MFL signal has three components: horizontal, vertical, and normal components. Horizontal and normal component signals are commonly used to estimate the defect profile, while the vertical component has always been neglected. With the development of the high resolution and the 3-D MFL testing techniques, the vertical component signal is becoming more available. This paper analyzes the essential right-angle features of the vertical component signal, which is useful for the defect opening profile recognition. After obtaining the initial profile from the horizontal or normal component, the types of the right angle is identified from the vertical component, and the opening profile is further optimized based on these right-angle features. The opening profile recognition method is put forward in this paper to improve the accuracy of the recognition result of the defect. Both simulation and experimental tests are conducted to verify the good performance of the proposed method. Compared with the opening profiles recognized merely by the horizontal component signal, the proposed method shows better recognition results, which also validates that the vertical component signal can also be a useful information for the defect estimation

Investigations on corrosion monitor reliability, calibration, and coverage

Thickness loss due to internal corrosion and erosion is a critical issue in ferromagnetic steel structures that can cause catastrophic failures. Ultrasonic thickness gauges are widely used for the detection of wall thickness. Recently permanently installed ultrasonic sensors have become popular for the inspection of areas suspected to undergo wall thickness loss. However, these are limited by the high cost and requirement of coupling agents. To address these problems, a novel cost-effective, and smart corrosion monitor based on the magnetic eddy current technique is developed in this research. The performance and reliability of the monitor to track internal wall thickness loss is tested successfully through accelerated and real-life aging corrosion tests. Due to the handling and safety issues associated with the powerful magnets in magnetic techniques, a particle swarm-based optimisation method is proposed and validated through two test cases. The results indicate that the area of the magnetic excitation circuit could be reduced by 38% without compromising the sensitivity. The reliability of the corrosion monitor is improved by utilising the active redundancy approach to identify and isolate faults in sensors. A real-life aging test is conducted for eight months in an ambient environment through an accelerated corrosion setup. The results obtained from the two corrosion monitors confirm that the proposed corrosion monitor is reliable for tracking the thickness loss. The corrosion monitor is found to be stable against environmental variations. A new in-situ calibration method based on zero-crossing frequency feature is introduced to evaluate the in-situ relative permeability. The thickness of the test specimen could be estimated with an accuracy of ± 0.6 mm. The series of studies conducted in the project reveal that the magnetic corrosion monitor has the capability to detect and quantify uniform wall thickness loss reliably

Nondestructive Testing in Composite Materials

In this era of technological progress and given the need for welfare and safety, everything that is manufactured and maintained must comply with such needs. We would all like to live in a safe house that will not collapse on us. We would all like to walk on a safe road and never see a chasm open in front of us. We would all like to cross a bridge and reach the other side safely. We all would like to feel safe and secure when taking a plane, ship, train, or using any equipment. All this may be possible with the adoption of adequate manufacturing processes, with non-destructive inspection of final parts and monitoring during the in-service life of components. Above all, maintenance should be imperative. This requires effective non-destructive testing techniques and procedures. This Special Issue is a collection of some of the latest research in these areas, aiming to highlight new ideas and ways to deal with challenging issues worldwide. Different types of materials and structures are considered, different non-destructive testing techniques are employed with new approaches for data treatment proposed as well as numerical simulations. This can serve as food for thought for the community involved in the inspection of materials and structures as well as condition monitoring

The Application of Electromagnetic NDT Method to the inspection of Non- ferrous Cast Materials

Inspection of non-ferrous cast material is routinely carried out looking for casting defects inherent for the manufacturing process. The NDT methods employed are Radiography and Ultrasonics, primarily for sub-surface or internal defects and Penetrants fo r surface breaking defects. Electromagnetic techniques have not been used on cast material except maybe for conductivity determination. This limitation resulting fi7om the surface roughness normally associated with cast surfaces and the fact the other techniques mention above have been very successful in finding and evaluating the discontinuities sought. The possible application of Electromagnetic techniques on surfaces in the as-cast condition of non-ferromagnetic material came about because of specific problems experienced by industry. Two major investigations were offered namely; 1) Investigation of CNC material - CuNiCr [1.6%Cr] castings exhibiting oxide entrapment in the form of networks. 2) Investigation of NAB - Nickel Aluminium Bronze exhibiting selective phase corrosion on immersion in seawater. The detection and measurement of both oxide entrapment and phase selective corrosion was difficult and in cases impossible with conventional NDT methods employed for quality control of these material/component types. Time of Flight DiMaction Ultrasonics did give some 50% detectability of phase selective corrosion, but the method was found to be expensive and very time consuming. The metallurgical properties of the material and morphology of the defects have been studied for both Cupro Nickel Chromium and Nickel Aluminium Bronze cast alloys. An investigation was then conducted to study the effects of eddy current signals and their potential in detecting, both linear and cluster type defects which were predominantly interdendritic with some reported as intergranular in nature. For inspecting Cupro Nickel Chromium castings two successful eddy current methods have been developed. Detection of surface flaws was achieved by high frequency [2MHzj examination and subsurface flaws by using low frequencies [1--'IKHz] but using specifically developed sensors that provided good penetration but maintained sensitivity to the fine defects. In the case of Nickel Aluminium Bronze material, the investigation was to look at electromagnetic techniques, which best utilizes the inherent feature of permeability/conductivity associated with this non- ferromagnetic material and any changes that phase selective corrosion may produce. Some meaningful results were obtained using a combination of edd'y current excitation with detection via magneto -re s istive sensors. Testing through 30-40mm of material to detect small magnetic variation produced by only 1-2 mm of corrosion penetration was difficult to quantify. Detection and assessment however appeared hopeful when examination was carried out from the corroded surface. With quantifiable samples a meaningful technique using eddy current excitation and magneto-resistive sensor for detection can be developed

Novel Approaches for Nondestructive Testing and Evaluation

Nondestructive testing and evaluation (NDT&E) is one of the most important techniques for determining the quality and safety of materials, components, devices, and structures. NDT&E technologies include ultrasonic testing (UT), magnetic particle testing (MT), magnetic flux leakage testing (MFLT), eddy current testing (ECT), radiation testing (RT), penetrant testing (PT), and visual testing (VT), and these are widely used throughout the modern industry. However, some NDT processes, such as those for cleaning specimens and removing paint, cause environmental pollution and must only be considered in limited environments (time, space, and sensor selection). Thus, NDT&E is classified as a typical 3D (dirty, dangerous, and difficult) job. In addition, NDT operators judge the presence of damage based on experience and subjective judgment, so in some cases, a flaw may not be detected during the test. Therefore, to obtain clearer test results, a means for the operator to determine flaws more easily should be provided. In addition, the test results should be organized systemically in order to identify the cause of the abnormality in the test specimen and to identify the progress of the damage quantitatively