Yu. Ya. Reutov, A. V. Mikhailov, L. V. Mikhailov

A MATRIX EDDY CURRENT TRANSDUCER USING SURFACE MOUNT INDUCTORS

The paper reports the results of testing the by us developed detachable matrix eddy current transducer designed to detect discontinuities on the surface of thin (tens of micrometers) inspected conductive objects, in particular, electrically conductive coatings of aircraft fuel tanks. The transducer can be useful for other applications, e.g. magnetic tomography. The device consists of 32 miniature inductors series-produced by the electronic industry and allowing you to cover an 80 mm wide band with a 2.5 mm wide test path. The use of inductance coils as magnetic receivers is due to the small thickness of the coatings to be tested. With this thickness, testing is effective only at an operating frequency of hundreds of kilohertz. Otherwise, the sounding magnetic field will not be reflected from the item under inspection. At these frequencies, modern microelectronic magnetic field sensors are inoperable. Scanning was carried out at an operating frequency of about 100 kHz. The scan results were displayed on the monitor of the personal computer. By selecting the operating frequency, the information content of the examination can be increased. The transducer detects the pattern of the copper foil of glass textolite both on the foil side and on the reverse side when the material thickness is 1.5 mm. The foil pattern is also detected through an aluminum foil gasket with a thickness of more than 10 μm. Steel plate surface discontinuities have also been detected, and this can be of interest for in-tube flaw detection. Cheap serial inductors designed for surface mounting take up a minimum of space on the printed circuit board and provide higher inspection resolution compared to coils obtained by printing. The scanning step (2.5 mm) achieved in this device is unique to matrix eddy current transducers. The study demonstrates the practicality and efficiency of using serial miniature inductors in eddy current testing.

Acknowledgment: The reported study was funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (theme Diagnostics, No. 122021000030-1).

References:

1.    GOST 19005-81. The means of the provision of the rocket and rocket-space technology items protection from the static electricity. General requirements for the metallization and earthing. Izdatelstvo Standartov Publ., Moscow, 1981, 38 p.
2.    Skvortsov, B.V., Samsonov, A.S., Borminskiy, S.A., and Zhivonosnovskaya, D.M. Theoretical basics for inspection of conducting coatings in aircraft fuel tanks. Russian Journal of Nondestructive Testing, 2017, 53 (5), 378–386. DOI: 10.1134/S1061830917050084.
3.    Skvortsov, B.V., Samsonov, A.S., Borminskiy, S.A., and Zhivonosnovskaya, D.M. Device for conductive coatings quality control of rocket and space technique elements. Pribory i Metody Izmereniy, 2019, 10 (1), 23–31. DOI: 10.21122/2220-9506-2019-10-1-23-31. (In Russian).
4.    Samsonov, A.S., Blinov, D.I., Skvortsov, B.V., and Zhivonosnovskaya, D.M. Metrological analysis of a device for nondestructive control of flight vehicle fuel tank current conductive coatings. Vestnik Samarskogo Universiteta, Aerokosmicheskaya Tekhnika, Tekhnologii i Mashinostroenie, 2017, 16 (3), 197–207. DOI: 10.18287/2541-7533-2017-16-3-197-208. (In Russian).
5.    Skvortsov, B.V., Pertsovich, A.S., and Zhivonosnovskaya, D.M. Analysis of the error of the simulator of signature of a thermal object. Optophysical Measurements, 2019, 62, 434–441. DOI: 10.1007/s11018-019-01689-9. 
6.    Sukhanov, D. and Zavyalova, K. Method of multi-angle transmission radiowave tomography of dielectric objects. Applied Sciences, 2020, 10 (9), 3270. DOI: 10.3390/app10093270.
7.    Eissa, M. and Sukhanov, D.Y. Design and analysis of multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) system for research purposes. Doklady TUSUR, 2022, 25 (2), 22–28. DOI: 10.21293/1818-0442-2022-25-2-22-28. (In Russian).
8.    Sukhanov, D.Ya., Goncharik, M.A. Remote control of inductive currents by a system of magnetic coils. Izvestiya Vuzov, Fizika, 2012, 55, 8 (2), 159–162. (In Russian).
9.    Sukhanov, D.Ya., Berzina, E.S. Magnetic introscopy using array of magnetic field sensors. Izvestiya Vuzov, Fizika, 2013, 56, 8 (2), 24–27. (In Russian).
10.    Sukhanov, D.Ya. and Goncharik, M.A. Determination of the shape of an electrically conductive object by remote measurements of disturbances of an alternating magnetic field. Izvestiya Vuzov, Fizika, 2013, 56, 8 (2), 41–43. (In Russian).
11.    Sukhanov, D.Ya. and Sovpel, E.S. A Magnetic induction introscope for flaw detection of metal objects. Russian Journal of Nondestructive Testing, 2015, 51 (5), 308–314. DOI: 10.1134/S1061830915050095.
12.    Dyakin, V.V. and Sandovskiy, V.A. Teoriya i raschet nakladnykh vikhretokovykh preobrazovatelei [Theory and Calculation of Attached Eddy-Current Transducers]. Nauka Publ., Moscow, 1981, 136 p. (In Russian).
13.    Klyuev, V.V., ed. Nerazrushayushchiy kontrol [Non-Destructive Testing, vol. 2]. Mashinostroenie Publ., Moscow, 2005, 688 p. (In Russian).
14.    Reutov, Yu.Ya. Laid-on eddy current transducer field penetration depth into a studied object. Elektrichestvo, 2018, 4, 50–57. DOI: 10.24160/0013-5380-2018-4-50-57. (In Russian).
15.    Loskutov, V.E. Magnitnyi defektoskop dlya obnaruzheniya prodolnykh treshchin v magistralnykh gazoprovodakh [Magnetic Flaw Detector for Detecting Longitudinal Cracks in Gas Main Pipelines: Cand. Thesis]. Ekaterinburg, 2004, 117 p. (In Russian).
16.    Reutov, Yu.Ya. A peculiarity of the magnetization of a ferromagnet by an alternating field. Diagnostics, Resource and Mechanics of materials and structures, 2020, 6, 35–47. DOI: 10.17804/2410-9908.2020.6.035-047. Available at: http://dream-journal.org/issues/content/article_313.html
17.    Zhou, Q., Li, G., Hou, K., Cao, F., and Song, K. Design and experimental study of array eddy current sensor for internal inspection of natural gas pipeline. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2021, 2113 012006. DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/2113/1/012006.
18.    Butyrin, P.A., Dubitskii, S.D., and Korovkin, N.V. The use of computer modeling in teaching the electromagnetic field theory. Elektrichestvo, 2014, 10, 66–71. (In Russian).
19.    Nikitin, A.V., Mikhailov, A.V., Gobov, Yu.L., Kostin, V.N., Smorodinskii, Ya.G. Verification of a technique for reconstructing the shape of defects in soft magnetic ferromagnets using MFL data. Russian Journal of Nondestructive Testing, 2022, 58 (11), 1111–1117. DOI: 10.1134/S1061830922700036. 
 

Article reference