Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Alternating Current Electric Flux Leakage Testing for Defect Detection and Characterization

  • Published:
Journal of Nondestructive Evaluation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper analyzes the inspection characteristics of the alternating current electric flux leakage (AC-EFL) testing method. Three specimens with different conductivity are prepared, and a series of experiments is carried out to explore the advantages and disadvantages of the AC-EFL method. For metal materials that carry an alternating current (AC), defect detection can be realized using both AC-EFL and electric current perturbation (ECP). However, the signal noise ratio (SNR) from using the AC-EFL method is lower than that obtained using the ECP method according to the experimental results obtained from an aluminum plate. For both the Ni–Zn ferrite specimens with very low conductivity and the carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) specimens with low anisotropic conductivity, the ECP method failed to detect defects because of the weak disturbed magnetic field that was caused by the defects, whereas the AC-EFL method was able to realize the defect detection. These proof-of-concept experimental results indicate that compared to magnetic field testing method, the AC-EFL is more suitable for inspecting low-conductivity materials.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
Fig. 18
Fig. 19
Fig. 20
Fig. 21
Fig. 22
Fig. 23

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hernandes, J.A., Assis, A.K.T.: Electric potential for a resistive toroidal conductor carrying a steady azimuthal current. Phys. Rev. E 68(4), 046611 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Hernandes, J.A., Assis, A.K.T.: Surface charges and external electric field in a toroid carrying a steady current. Braz. J. Phys. 34, 1738–44 (2004)

  3. Hernandes, J.A., Assis, A.K.T.: Electric potential due to an infinite conducting cylinder with internal or external point charge. J. Electrostat. 63, 1115–31 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Hernandes, J.A., Mania, A.J., Luna, F.R.T., et al.: The internal and external electric fields for a resistive toroidal conductor carrying a steady poloidal current. Phys. Scripta 78(1), 015403 (2008)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  5. Ye, Z., Sun, Y., Kang, Y., et al.: An alternating current electric flux leakage testing methodology and experimental research for metallic materials. NDT E Int. 67, 36–45 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Ye, Z., Kang, Y., Sun, Y., Yang, G., Feng, B., Zhou, Q.: Theoretical analyses of an alternating current electric flux leakage inspection method and experimental verification. Insight-Non-Destruct. Test. Cond. Monit. 57, 78–84 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Beissner, R., Sablik, M.: Theory of Electric Current Perturbation Probe Optimization, Review of Progress in Quantitative Nondestructive Evaluation, pp. 633–641. Springer, New York (1984)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  8. Beissner, R., Teller, C., Burkhardt, G., Smith, R., Barton, J.: Detection and Analysis of Electric-Current Perturbation Caused by Defects. Eddy-Current Characterization of Materials and Structures, pp. 428–446. ASTM International, West Conshohocken (1981)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  9. Burkhardt, G.L., Beissne, R.E.: Electric Current Perturbation NDE, pp. 136–42. ASM Handbook Committee, Materials Park (1989)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Bowler, N.: Electric field due to alternating current injected at the surface of a metal plate. J Appl. Phys. 96, 4607–13 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Bowler, N.: Analytical solution for the electric field in a half space conductor due to alternating current injected at the surface. J Appl. Phys. 95, 344–8 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Schulze, M.H., Heuer, H., Küttner, M., Meyendorf, N.: High-resolution eddy current sensor system for quality assessment of carbon fiber materials. Microsyst. Technol. 16, 791–7 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Mook, G., Lange, R., Koeser, O.: Non-destructive characterisation of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastics by means of eddy-currents. Compos. Sci. Technol. 61, 865–73 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Cheng, J., Ji, H., Qiu, J., Takagi, T., Uchimoto, T., Hu, N.: Novel electromagnetic modeling approach of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer laminate for calculation of eddy currents and eddy current testing signals. J. Compos. Mater. 49(5), 617–631 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Yin, W., Li, X., Withers, P., Peyton, A.: Non-contact characterization of hybrid aluminium/carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic sheets using multi-frequency eddy-current sensors. Meas. Sci. Technol. 21, 105708 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Koyama, K., Hoshikawa, H., Kojima, G.: Eddy current nondestructive testing for carbon fiber-reinforced composites. J. Press. Vessel Technol. 135, 041501 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This paper was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51475194), the National Key Basic Research Program of China (2014CB046706) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. 2015MS015).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China

    Yanhua Sun, Shiwei Liu, Yihua Kang & Lingsong He

  2. Wuhan Marine Machinery Plant Co., Ltd., Wuhan, 430084, China

    Zhijian Ye

  3. China Ship Scientific Research Center (CSSRC), Wuxi, 214082, China

    Min Gu & Changde Liu

Authors
  1. Yanhua Sun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Shiwei Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Zhijian Ye
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Min Gu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Changde Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Yihua Kang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Lingsong He
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yanhua Sun.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Sun, Y., Liu, S., Ye, Z. et al. Alternating Current Electric Flux Leakage Testing for Defect Detection and Characterization. J Nondestruct Eval 37, 15 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10921-018-0469-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10921-018-0469-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation