Eddy Current Probe Design and Matched Filtering for Optimum Flaw Detection

Eddy current signals obtained from variations in the probe liftoff are in general much larger in amplitude than the useful flaw signals. Small flaw signals can, however, be detected in the presence of liftoff noise if a large enough phase angle exists between them. Figure 1(a) shows how this phase discrimination can help in liftoff noise suppression. Here, the oscilloscope traces the complex impedance of the probe. The impedance plane has been rotated so that the liftoff noise lies entirely in the horizontal channel. Now if we choose to look only at the signal in the vertical channel of the scope, or the Q channel (in phase quadrature with liftoff), there will be no liftoff noise. This, however, is not a very realistic picture. Figure 1(b) is obtained when we try to detect much smaller flaws (in this case a closed crack of 20 mils in aluminum). We see that the trace of the liftoff noise has a curvature and that there are also fluctuations along the Q channel axis. Both of these effects eventually limit the detectability of small flaws. Since this contribution of liftoff to the Q channel is in practice larger than circuit noise, we define the detection figure of merit for an EC probe as 1D=(ΔZf)sinβ(ΔZℓO)Q

Using Capacitive Probes in Electromagnetic Nondestructive Testing

In an attempt to expand the scope of electromagnetic testing to include poorly conducting materials, we have tried using a low frequency capacitive probe. This probe has given promising performances in testing materials with resistivities of several hundred ohm-centimeters

Eddy Current Signal Calculations for Surface Breaking Cracks

This paper contains a brief status report on analytical modeling of the probe-flaw interactions for surface breaking cracks and some data on comparisons of theory and experiment for EDM notches and true fatigue cracks. The goal of the work reported here and in companion papers by Rummel and Rathke (1984), Auld, et al. (1984), and Martinez and Bahr (1984) is to improve the quantitative character of eddy current testing. In this joint effort, the role of probe-flaw interaction modeling is to provide engineering tools not previously available for: (1) setting design guidelines to optimize sensitivity and spatial resolution, (2) permitting analytic extrapolation of measured flaw response data, (3) defining a test basis for monitoring probe calibration, and (4) establishing a rational inversion procedure based on multifrequency measurements and the shape signature of a scanned flaw signal as a function of position

30 GHz bandwidth temperature stable 980 nm vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers with AlAs/GaAs bottom distributed Bragg reflectors for optical data communication

We present a 980 nm vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) design which achieves 32 GHz small-signal modulation bandwidth (f3db) at 15 °C and record-high 27 GHz at 85 °C. Our devices utilize binary AlAs/GaAs bottom distributed Bragg reflector material layers to improve thermal conductance. We extract key VCSEL figures-of-merit from static optical output power-current-voltage (LIV), spectral emission, and high frequency dynamic measurements and observe highly temperature stable performance for these parameters.DFG, 43659573, SFB 787: Halbleiter - Nanophotonik: Materialien, Modelle, Bauelement

The Use of Horizontal Axis Coils for the Eddy Current Inspection of Fast Breeder Reactor Primary Vessels

The inspection of nuclear power plant is one of the most demanding fields in which non-destructive evaluation (NDE) is required to be performed. In Europe, the proposed next generation of nuclear reactors are liquid metal cooled fast breeder reactors (LMFBR). This paper reports on an investigation into the feasibility of using eddy current techniques for inspecting the primary austenitic vessel of the LMFBR

Inversion of Eddy Current Signals in a Nonuniform Probe Field

We present a simple analytical method for predicting the eddy current signal (ΔZ) produced by a surface flaw of known dimensions, when interrogated by a probe with spatially varying magnetic field. The model is easily parameterized, and we use it to construct inversion schemes which can extract overall flaw dimensions from multiposition, multifrequency measurements. Our method is a type of Born approximation, in which we assume that the probe’s magnetic field at the mouth of the flaw can be used as a boundary condition on the electromagnetic field solutions inside the flaw. To simplify the calculation we have chosen a “rectangular” 3-dimensional flaw geometry for our model. We describe experimental measurements made with a new broadband probe on a variety of flaws. This probe operates in a frequency range of 200 kHz to 20 MHz and was designed to make the multifrequency measurements necessary for inversion purposes. Since inversion requires knowledge of the probe’s magnetic field shape, we describe experimental methods which determine the interrogating field geometry for any eddy current probe

introduction to high speed electronics and opto electronics

xi.289 : 24 c

Eddy Current Probe Design and Matched Filtering for Optimum Flaw Detection

Eddy current signals obtained from variations in the probe liftoff are in general much larger in amplitude than the useful flaw signals. Small flaw signals can, however, be detected in the presence of liftoff noise if a large enough phase angle exists between them. Figure 1(a) shows how this phase discrimination can help in liftoff noise suppression. Here, the oscilloscope traces the complex impedance of the probe. The impedance plane has been rotated so that the liftoff noise lies entirely in the horizontal channel. Now if we choose to look only at the signal in the vertical channel of the scope, or the Q channel (in phase quadrature with liftoff), there will be no liftoff noise. This, however, is not a very realistic picture. Figure 1(b) is obtained when we try to detect much smaller flaws (in this case a closed crack of 20 mils in aluminum). We see that the trace of the liftoff noise has a curvature and that there are also fluctuations along the Q channel axis. Both of these effects eventually limit the detectability of small flaws. Since this contribution of liftoff to the Q channel is in practice larger than circuit noise, we define the detection figure of merit for an EC probe as 1D=(ΔZf)sinβ(ΔZℓO)Q.</p

Using Capacitive Probes in Electromagnetic Nondestructive Testing

In an attempt to expand the scope of electromagnetic testing to include poorly conducting materials, we have tried using a low frequency capacitive probe. This probe has given promising performances in testing materials with resistivities of several hundred ohm-centimeters.</p