Eddy current – Basics II

ABINASH BEHERA
ASNT NDT LEVEL-III IN
RT,UT,MT,PT,ET
MANAGER,HAL-SED
Applications of eddy current testing

 Sorting of materials
 Coating thickness measurement
 Detection of surface and near
surface defects
 Heat exchanger tube inspection
DISTRIBUTION OF EDDY CURRENTS

 PLATES
 BARS
 TUBES
 MAGNETIC MATERIAL
• FACTORS AFFECTING EDDY CURRENT
FLOW
• CHOICE OF TEST FREQUENCY
EDDY CURRENT DISTRIBUTION
Eddy-current flow
IN OBJECT
Coil
TOPVIEW OF PLATE

Plate

EDDY CURRENTS ARE

 PARALLEL TO COIL
WINDING
Eddy current
flow  CLOSED LOOPS

 ATTENUATE WITH
DEPTH
EDDY CURRENT DISTRIBUTIONS IN BAR
Encircling coil
Cylinder

Crack

Eddy
currents

Eddy Cut-section
Coil currents Coil Eddy
Eddy
currents
currents
Crack
PARALLELL TO COIL WINDING
AT CENTRE DENSITY IS ZERO
 EDDY CURRENT DISTRIBUTIONS IN TUBE
Coil

Tube

Eddy-current flow
Eddy
Coil currents Coil Eddy
Coil currents
s EDDY CURRENTS ARE
Crack
PARALLEL TO COIL
WINDING
Plate CIRCUMFERENTIAL
DEFECTS ARE MISSED
 Sensitivity at the Centre of a Rod
 IS= Vs/Rs

 Rs= 2πrρ/Ac
 Rsα r

Encircling
 IS= Vs/Rs α r2/r
coil
 IS α r

 When r = 0, Is=0

 Defects at he central of the rod go undetected

 FACTORS AFFECTING EDDY
CURRENT DISTRIBUTION

•DIMENSIONAL PROPERTY
END EFFECT (Plate)
EDGE EFFECT (Tube)
ELECTRICAL AND MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
SKIN EFFECT
•DISCONTINUITIES
 FACTORS AFFECTING EDDY
CURRENT DISTRIBUTION
Plates: Edge-effect
Tubes and Bars: End-effect)

Probe Coil
Approaching
Part Edge
Distortion can be used to advantage for proximity sensing
FACTORS AFFECTING EDDY
CURRENT DISTRIBUTION
SKIN-EFFECT

1

f
 EFFECT OF PEMEABILITY ON
EDDY CURRENT DISTRIBUTION
Tube
wall

Non-ferromagnetic tube Ferromagnetic tube

HIGH PERMEABILITY RESTRICTS PENETRATION OF

(MAGNETIC FIELDS AS SHOWN ABOVE) EDDY CURRENTS

LOW FREQUENCY EXCITATION GIVES POOR SENSITIVITY

(SNR)
ELECTROMAGNETIC COUPLING
LIFT-OFF

Eddy current probe

Test object

Lift - off
 SENSITIVITY VS. LIFT- OFF
 SENSITIVITY DECREASES AS LIFT-OFF INCREASES
LIFT-OFF INFLUENCE DECREASES WITH INCREASING
PROBE DIAMETER
 2
x 100
(D 1 )
FILL FACTOR – ENCIRCLING COIL
Encircling coil

PROBLEM

What is the
D1 D2 diameter of
encircling probe
that ensures a fill
Solid cylinder
factor of 0.8 for
eddy current
(D 1 )
2
inspection of a bar
 x 100
(D 2 )
2
of 4.5mm radius ?
 FILL FACTOR – BOBBIN COIL
Bobbin coil

Problem

What is the probe

D2 D1
diameter-to
achieve fill factor
of 0.8 for
Tube
inspecting the
2
tube of 17mm
(D 2 )
 2
x 100 diameter ?
(D 1 )
SENSITIVITY OF THE PROBE FOR
DIFFERENT FILL FACTOR
 DIRECTIONAL PROPERTY OF
A SURFACE PROBE

Coil

Eddy currents
Surface crack
Laminar crack
Test plate

Eddy current flow parallel to coil windings

poor sensitivity to laminations SENSITIVITY AT
Surface crack
CENTRE OF COIL α r
in plate
Coil

Zero sensitivity Low sensitivity Maximum sensitivity

at centre of coil parallel to windings across windings
 EFFECT OF PROBE COIL DIAMETER
Sensitivity inversely proportional to coil diameter
Probe diameter ≤ Expected defect length
PROBE EFFECTIVE DIAMTETR (Deff)

Deff  Dc  4
Dc : Physical diameter, mm

PROBLEM
What is the sensing diameter of a
4 mm diameter probe during eddy
current testing of SS plate at 2
MHz frequency?
CHARACTERISITIC PARAMETERS ( PC)
FOR PLATES

2
4
7.9 x 10 r f
Pc 

r- mean coil radius f- frequency
μ-Relative permeability ρ-Electrical resistivity

PARAMETERS CAN BE DESCRIBED TO LOCATE

THE OPERATING POINT ON IMPEDANCE PLANE
 IMPEDANCE DIAGRAM WITH
CHARACTERISTIC PARAMETER, PC

Knee point occurs

for a PC value of 10
 CHOICE OF TEST FREQUENCY
FOR PLATES

THICKNESS OF THE MATERIAL SHOULD

NOT INFLUENCE TESTING
TEST ARTICLE THICKNESS , t ≥3δ

22500
f  2
 , Hz
t
 CHOICE OF TEST FREQUENCY FOR
PLATE THICKNESS MEASUREMENT

90° PHASE ANGLE BETWEEN LIFT-OFF AND

CHANGE IN THICKNESS

t   0.8 t

f  1.6  / t , kHz
2
Lift-off

f
 PROBE RESPONSE TO TEST
PARAMETERS AT THREE FREQUENCIES

10 kHz 50 kHz 200 kHz

 Resistivity increase slowly with increase in frequency

 Permeability changes slowly with increase in frequency
 Thickness variations continuously increase with increase in frequency
 Typical Eddy Current Signal
Surface crack

Coil
Subsurface
Lift - off void (A)

Subsurface
void (B)
Increasing
lift-off
Subsurface
Surface void (A)
crack
Subsurface Impedence plane
void (B)

 AMPLITUDE OF IMPEDANCE CHANGE (SIGNAL) IS

PROPORTIONAL TO DEFECT SIZE OR VOLUME
 PHASE LAG PROPORTIONAL TO DEFECT LOCATION

(DEPTH)
 CHARACTERISITIC FREQUENCY
THEORETICAL BESSEL FUNCTION SOLUTION FOR
CALCULATION OF EDDY CURRENT CHRARACTERISTICS
IN TUBES

f r d 2
A 0
 5.07
LIMIT FREQUENCY fg, FREQUENCY AT WHICH A = 1

 5.07
fg 
r d02
LIMIT FREQUENCY FOR BARS/TUBES

NON-MAGNETIC BAR: WITH

ENCIRCLING COIL

TUBE: WITH AN INTERNAL 5.07 

COIL fg  , kHz
 r di2

THIN WALL TUBE: WITH 5.07 

ENCIRCLING & INTERNAL COIL fg  , kHz
 r di t
 IMPEDANCE DIAGRAM vs. f/fg

Bars, f/fg= 6
Thick wall tube, f/fg= 4
Thin wall tube, f/fg= 1

KNEE region ensures balanced sensitivity to defects,

resistivity and dimension changes
 CHOICE OF FREQUENCY
At f/fg= 2, Good discrimination between
ferromagnetic variations and defects is ensured

At f/fg= 15 to 20, Good discrimination between

surface defects and fill factor

At f/fg=100, Maximum sensitivity to diameter

variation is obtained (higher frequency)
 SIMILARITY LAW FOR EDDY
CURRENT TEST
IF TWO DIFFERENT OBJECTS HAVE SAME f/fg, THEN
EDDY CURRENT DISTRIBUTION, EFFECTIVE
PERMEABILITY AND MAGNETIC FIELD DISTRIBUTION
ARE THE SAME FOR THE TWO TEST OBJECTS

FOR CYLINDERS f 1d  2  f 2 d  1
2
01
2
02

FOR THIN WALL TUBES f 1d i 1 t1  2  f 2 d i 2 t 2  1

FOR THICK WALL TUBE f 1d i 1  2  f 2 d  1

2 2
i2
(BOBBIN)
 SUMMARY
Eddy current distributions in the objects
are affected by
 Object dimension, electrical and
magnetic properties
 Probe dimension and test frequency
For achieving reliable defect detection,
optimum test frequency and probe
dimension should be obtained from
impedance diagram
Eddy current signal and impedance plane

Impedance of a coil is complex (Real part

is resistance, Imaginary part is inductive
reactance)
Impedance of a coil plotted as a function
of position is EC signal
High frequency is sensitive for surface
breaking cracks
TYPICAL EDDY CURRENT SIGNALS

Absolute

Differential
Types of eddy current probes
EDDY CURRENT TESTING OF TUBES/BARS

ID OR BOBBIN PROBE OD OR ENCIRCLING PROBE

TYPICAL EDDY CURRENT SIGNALS

Impedance Display
TYPICAL EDDY CURRENT SIGNAL
HEAT EXCHANGER MANUFACTURING
DISCONTINUITIES
HEAT EXCHANGER SERVICE
INDUCED DISCONTINUITIES
LIMITATION OF SINGLE FREQUENCY ECT

1. Distortion in Signal
display
2. Existing Extraneous
discontinuities such as
support plate, ID noise
and Dent add to the
defect signal and yield
complex signals
difficult to interpret
3. Situation warrants for Influence of extraneous
suppression of these discontinuities on defect
external influences signal
Multifreqeuncy to suppress two
variables
Support plate +Denting two
variables three frequencies

Stage 1- Eliminate support plate

Stage 2- Eliminate signals due

to denting

Result – Signal due to defect

 MULTIMODE TECHNIQUE
Generation of both
absolute and
differential mode
measurements
Only one time probe
traverse
Multimode signatures of defects
Added advantages of
absolute and
differential methods
Single frequency
limitations
 MULTIFREQUENCY TECHNIQUE
• Collection of data from several
frequencies from one probe
traverse
• Frequencies are either summed
and sent or multiplexed
• Detection with respect to each
individual test frequency
• Basic frequency- examination
frequency
• Auxiliary frequencies –
Multifrequency examination Unwanted signal suppression
Equipment principle
(Simultaneous)
MULTIFREQUENCY EC TECHNIQUE

 Advantages Limitations
 Simultaneous collection of An extraneous
several frequency data discontinuity may hide or
 Allows separation of distort an underlying defect
discontinuities signal
 Improved sensitivity
 Easy interpretation
 Verify signal interpretation
 Conjunctional use with
multimode
 DISCONTINUITY SIGNALS
WITH TEST FREQUENCY
• Variation in phase caused by
the presence of defects for
various test frequencies
• High frequencies for ID
defects, probe wobble etc
•Skin effect
• Low frequency for external
discontinuities such as
support plate, deposits,
sludge etc.
Evolution of Typical discontinuity • Wide phase separation due
signals with test frequency
to excitation frequencies
MULTIPARAMETER PRINCIPLE

• Matching of support plate signal by mixing

frequency with basic frequency
• Vectorial subtraction removes the support plate
signal and displays only the defect signal
 SUMMARY
EDDY CURRENT DISTRIBUTION IN THE MATERIAL IS
AFFECTED BY
 MATERIAL PROPERTIES
 OBJECT DIMENSION
 DISCONTINUITIES
TESTING DEPENDS ON TEST CONDITIONS
•CHOOSE SUITABLE PROBE DESIGN
•CHOOSE TEST FREQUENCIES THAT ARE

OPTIMISED BY USING THE IMPEDANCE PLANE

DIAGRAMS AND CHARACTERISTIC PARAMETERS
 f/fg (50) Vs. Defect Detection

SENSITIVITY FOR
SURFACE AND
SUBSURFACE DEFECTS

FREQUENCY IS HIGH,
SUB-SURFACE DEFECT
IS NOT VERY SENSITIVE
 f/fg (15) vs. Defect Detection

SENSITIVITY FOR
SURFACE AND
SUBSURFACE
DEFECTS

FREQUENCY IS
HIGH, SUB-
SURFACE DEFECT
IS BETTER
 CHRARACTERISATION OF
GEOMETRICAL DISCONTINUITIES

Surface coil

Test plate
Crack
Void

Depth Depth