EDDY CURRENT

Testing Parameters

Level 1 & 2

PO 406.05
 Testing
Parameters

• Here we’re going to be going over test object and

instrument parameters which must be known
before making an educated attempt at an
inspection.

PO 406.05
 Test Objects

• Significant properties of the test object include:

1. Conductivity
2. Dimensions (thickness, diameter, etc.)
3. Magnetic permeability
4. Presence of discontinuities

PO 406.05
 Instrument
Characteristics

• Significant instrument characteristics include:

1. Frequency
2. Size and shape of the test coil (inductance)
3. Lift-off (coupling)

PO 406.05
 Object:
Conductivity &
Resistivity

• The impedance point moves up the curve with

increasing resistivity.

• Conversely, increasing conductivity moves

down the conductivity curve.

PO 406.05
 Object:
Conductivity &
Resistivity

PO 406.05
 Factors which
affect
Conductivity
• They are:

1) Alloys
2) Changes in hardness
3) Changes in temperature
4) Residual stresses
5) The presence of a thin coating or cladding

PO 406.05
 Object:
Dimensions

• Since eddy current require conductive material to

flow through, a reduction in material restricts their
flow.

• As test material becomes thinner, it causes an

increase in resistance to eddy currents.

PO 406.05
 Object:
Dimensions

• So it stands to reason that when you are conducting

an inspection (other than for material thickness),
steps must be taken to ensure that the thickness is
not close to the effective depth of penetration or
thickness variations will come into play.

PO 406.05
 Object:
Dimensions

• When material thickness exceeds effective

standard depth, dimensional variances no longer
become a factor

PO 406.05
 Object:
Dimensions
• Where the thickness
curve meets the
conductivity curve is the
point where the
thickness equals the
depth of penetration

• Increasing the thickness

beyond that point has no
effect whatsoever on the
impedance of the test
circuit.
PO 406.05
Thickness and
Conductivity

• As the conductivity
increases, the depth
of penetration
decreases

• Notice that the depth

of penetration of the
brass is about 40 mils
and of the lead about
70 mils

PO 406.05
 Sensitivity to
Dimensional
Changes
• If you compare the
spread between 7
& 8 and 1 & 2 on
the thickness curve
Thinner
you will notice that
eddy currents are
more sensitive to
dimensional
changes when the Thicker
material is thinner.

PO 406.05
Thickness and
Frequency

PO 406.05
 Thickness
Measurement

• Frequency should be adjusted so that liftoff and

thickness variations are separated by 90 degrees.

1.6  
f  2
t
• This formula will give a standard depth of penetration
of 0.8  on the far side of the piece

PO 406.05
 Edge Effect

• Another source of signals are edge effects and object

geometry.

• When the test article’s edge is within the probe

magnetic field, an increase in resistance to eddy
current flow will be detected.

PO 406.05
 Edge Effect

• Eddy currents become distorted since there is no

material in which the currents can flow.

Edge Effect

PO 406.05
 Edge Effect
• Edge effect can be reduced by
probe design, such as a ferrite
cupped core, shielding or by
increasing frequency

• If the surface of the test article

is contoured, the magnetic flux
coupling will differ from that of
a flat surface

PO 406.05
 Object:
Permeability
Steel

• When a ferromagnetic material is

placed in the field of a coil; this Air
increases both the inductance and
inductive reactance of the
Aluminum
magnetizing coil.

PO 406.05
 Object:
Permeability

• When ferromagnetic material (such as iron or steel)

are placed in the magnetizing field, the reactance
changes in a far different way than with nonmagnetic
materials

• the flux lines find portions of

their path with far less
magnetic reluctance than air

Level 1 & 2

PO 406.05
 Object:
Permeability

• The portion of the flux path in air is shortened, and

with high permeable materials, it is possible that
nearly half of the flux-line length lies within the
ferromagnetic material

• The coil field includes

increased flux densities around
the coil
Level 1 & 2

PO 406.05
 Object:
Permeability

• The increased flux densities

increase both the
inductance and inductive
reactance of the coil

• This effect is the opposite of

that found with nonmagnetic
materials
Level 1 & 2

PO 406.05
 Object:
Permeability

• There is a large impedance increase for a

small increase in permeability.

• Small permeability changes can mask other

test variables

PO 406.05
Magnetic
Materials

PO 406.05
 Object:
Permeability

• Unless the part is magnetically saturated (all domains

aligned) the random orientation of the magnetic domains
can severely affect the test signal

Level 1 & 2

PO 406.05
 Object:
Permeability

• These variations are considered irrelevant but must be

eliminated or reduced before an inspection can take place
Level 1 & 2

PO 406.05
 Object:
Discontinuity

• The fourth and last object variable is the presence of

discontinuities

• We’ve covered this

before, therefor I won’t
repeat myself anymore

Level 1 & 2

PO 406.05
 Instrument:
Frequency
• When frequency is increased,
eddy current do not penetrate
as deep into the material and
the impedance point moves
down the curve.

• It reacts the same as an

increase in conductivity

PO 406.05
 Instrument:
Frequency

20 kHz

• Here we have an 50 kHz

impedance plane with an Normalized

Reactance
increasing frequency 200 kHz

which is being loaded by

the same conductivity 1000 kHz

material

Normalized
Resistance

PO 406.05
 Instrument:
Frequency

• Now some of you may remember that an

increase in frequency increases the inductive
reactance, and it does…

• But once the coil in air is normalized, the

displacement of the impedance point will vary
to a greater degree once the coil becomes
loaded at the higher frequency

PO 406.05
 Instrument:
Frequency
Iron Iron
Monel 400

Monel 400
Normalized Reactance

Normalized Reactance
304SS
Lead
304SS
Brass
Alum
Lead
Copper

Brass
Alum

Copper

10 kHz 100 kHz

Normalized Resistance Normalized Resistance

PO 406.05
 Instrument:
Frequency

20 kHz
A test frequency where
50 kHz the standard depth () is
Normalized about equal to the
Reactance
200 kHz expected depth of a
defect, provides good
1000 kHz
phase separation
between liftoff and
defect signals
Normalized
Resistance

PO 406.05
 Instrument:
Lift-off
• Called Liftoff when using probe coils, and Fill factor
when using encircling coil systems.

• Increasing the spacing:

1) reduces the magnitude of the induced eddy currents

2) reduces the sensitivity of the eddy currents to variations
or discontinuities

PO 406.05
 Instrument:
Lift-off

• There is a decrease in the sensitivity to defects as a coil is

moved away from the surface

• The decrease in defect sensitivity is determined by probe

size rather than the skin depth attenuation

• If lift-off is necessary the use of a larger probe (which has

a larger field extension) can be used

PO 406.05
 Instrument:
Lift-off

• Lift-off can also be used for the thickness measurement

of nonconductive coatings

• The coil diameter or the driving current should be large

enough so that it’s magnetic field extends into the
conductive base

• Measurements are carried out by observing the lift-off

variations

PO 406.05
 Instrument:
Coil Diameter

• Small coils have magnetic fields confined to a small

region, hence small diameter coils measure test-
material properties only in the region close to the coil.

PO 406.05
 Instrument:
Coil Diameter

• Typically, the magnetic field extends at least three coil

diameters away from the coil winding

• At an axial distance equal to the coil diameter, the

magnetizing field intensity is only 10% of that near
the coil surface

PO 406.05
 Instrument:
Coil Diameter

• Using a small diameter coil to inspect low

conductivity, thick specimens may be a problem
since the coil may fail to project it’s field into the
lower layers of the test material.

• The same is true for inspecting thin materials with

high frequencies.

PO 406.05
 Instrument:
Coil Diameter

• The total magnetic flux and reactance both increases in

proportion with the square of the coil diameter, for an
empty coil in air

L  d 2 N2

PO 406.05
 Instrument:
Coil Diameter

2 mm

4 mm
Has the same
effect as
Normalized increasing
Reactance 8 mm
frequency
16 mm

Normalized
Resistance

PO 406.05
 Instrument:
Coil Diameter

• Other factor affecting the inductance can all be

extrapolated from the following formula

0.8( Nr ) 2
L
6(r )  9(l )  10(b) l
b r

PO 406.05
 Effects of
Temperature and
Thermal Drift

P0
• Test material conductivity depends
upon the material temperature.
P1

• Tests should be made with ambient

temperatures, and in an
environment with nearly constant
temperatures to avoid the need for
temperature correction

PO 406.05
 Noise

• Care must also be taken to carry out your inspection

in an area free of electrical or other noise

• Ensuring that electric motors and anything else which

may create noise is out of the vicinity

PO 406.05
The Big
Picture

PO 406.05
 Summary
• Thermal
Test Object
effects
Properties
can affect the conductivity of of the test piece
– resistivity
• – dimension
Ensure there is no electrical interference in the area
– permeability
– discontinuity
• A firm knowledge of impedance diagrams is a must

• Instrument Properties
– frequency
– coil size
– coupling

PO 406.05