Search

In the present study, a relatively novel non-destructive testing (NDT) method called the coplanar capacitive sensing technique was applied in order to detect different sizes of rebars in a reinforced concrete (RC) structure. This technique effectively detects changes in the dielectric properties during scanning in various sections of concrete with and without rebars. Numerical simulations were carried out by three-dimensional (3D) finite element modelling (FEM) in COMSOL Multiphysics software to analyse the impact of the presence of rebars on the electric field generated by the coplanar capacitive probe. In addition, the effect of the presence of a surface defect on the rebar embedded in the concrete slab was demonstrated by the same software for the first time. Experiments were performed on a concrete slab containing rebars, and were compared with FEM results. The results showed that there is a good qualitative agreement between the numerical simulations and experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most common methods for performing non-destructive testing (NDT) of the steel tank floors in aboveground storage tanks is dc magnetic flux leakage (MFL). This test method gives an estimate of the defect depth and width based on the MFL signal strength and its peak location, respectively. A key limitation is that the signal strength depends on not only the defect depth and width but also various other factors including a defect’s wall profile and sensor lift-off. Moreover, in a practical MFL test, the sensor lift-off changes due to surface roughness and uneven steel plate surface in tank floors. We present an ac MFL system to increase the accuracy of defect characterization by: 1) distinguishing between two common defect shapes located on the far side of the steel plate used in a typical above storage tank (AST) floor: lake-shaped and rectangular defects and 2) developing a sensor lift-off compensation scheme based on ac signal phase. Simulation results show that skewness of the ac MFL can be used to distinguish between far-side lake-shaped and rectangular defects. AC MFL signal phase is shown to be a suitable compensator for the dependence of signal strength on unintended variations in sensor lift-off. The simulation results have been validated through experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It was recently demonstrated that a coplanar capacitive sensor could be applied to the evaluation of materials without the disadvantages associated with the other techniques. This technique effectively detects changes in the dielectric properties of the materials due to, for instance, imperfections or variations in the internal structure, by moving a set of simple electrodes on the surface of the specimen. An AC voltage is applied to one or more electrodes and signals are detected by others. This is a promising inspection method for imaging the interior structure of the numerous materials, without the necessity to be in contact with the surface of the sample. In this paper, finite element (FE) modeling was employed to simulate the electric field distribution from a coplanar capacitive sensor and the way it interacts with a nonconducting sample. Physical experiments with a prototype capacitive sensor were also performed on a Plexiglas sample with subsurface defects, to assess the imaging performance of the sensor. A good qualitative agreement was observed between the numerical simulation and experimental result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most common methods for performing non-destructive testing in steel tank floors is DC magnetic flux leakage (MFL). The magnetic dipole method is the most widely used mathematical technique to predict the MFL from defects in such structures. However, due to the complexity of an exact analytical description of an MFL system, researchers often make coarse approximations for the profile of the magnetic surface charge density $\sigma _{m}$ , orientation of the magnetic field H, and variation of relative permeability $\mu _{r}$. In this paper, the validity of these approximations is evaluated for 2-D rectangular defects in a steel plate, by comparing model predications with finite element results. The primary sources of deviation between the approximate solutions and true MFL profiles were found to be caused by assumptions that 1) $\sigma _{m}$ on the specimen surface adjacent to a flaw is zero. This assumption is equivalent to treating the orientation of H to be parallel to the specimen surface, even at locations in close proximity to a flaw and 2) local variation in permeability around the defect can be ignored. This approximation was found to cause an underestimation of $\sigma _{m}$ and, consequently, the predicted MFL. In contrast, approximating $\sigma _{m}$ to be zero at the bottom of a flaw, and approximating uniform distribution for $\sigma _{\mathbf {m}}$ on the vertical defect sides of a slot defect was found to generate only minor errors in an estimate of flux leakage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The periodic permanent magnet electromagnetic acoustic transducer (PPM EMAT) is a sensor that can generate and receive shear horizontal (SH) waves without direct contact with the inspected medium using the Lorentz mechanism. However, the PPM EMAT experiences high signal variance on ferromagnetic steel under specific conditions, such as a change in signal amplitude when the sensor is moved in the direction of SH wave propagation. Magnetostriction effects are hypothesized to be the cause of these anomalous behaviors; the objective of this paper is to determine the relative strengths of the magnetostriction and Lorentz wave generation mechanisms for this type of EMAT on steel. This goal is accomplished through the use of a second EMAT, which induces only magnetostriction (MS-EMAT), to calibrate a novel semi-empirical magnetostriction model. It is found that magnetostriction effects reduce the amplitude of the SH wave generated by this particular PPM EMAT transmitter by an average of 29% over a range of input currents. It is also determined that magnetostriction is significant only in the investigated PPM EMAT transmitter, not the receiver. In terms of practical application, it is shown that the MS-EMAT is less sensitive to changes in the static and dynamic fields than PPM EMATs at specific operating points; this makes the MS-EMAT a viable alternative for nondestructive evaluation despite lower amplitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the large number of pipe supports over a piping run, a rapid reliable NDT system is needed to identify hidden corrosion defects at a pipe-support interface. To accomplish this, a system using Periodic Permanent Magnet (PPM) Electromagnetic Acoustic Transducers (EMAT׳s) to generate dispersive SH1 guided waves is implemented. For this study, both the effect of the support contact and a corrosion type defect are evaluated independently through finite element models and experiments utilizing a flat plate approximation. It was found that utilizing the SH1 plate wave near the inflection point or ‘knee’ of the dispersion curve yields a high sensitivity to gradual wall loss defects while experiencing a minimal effect from the support contact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coplanar capacitive sensors are employed in Non-destructive Testing (NDT) methods to measure the difference in dielectric properties of the materials. The most important design parameters for a coplanar capacitive sensor include the shape, size, and separation distance of the electrodes which affect the sensor performance. In addition, the impact of the shielding plate and guard electrode should be considered. In the framework of this paper, numerical simulations and physical experiments are studied for two shapes of electrodes, triangular and rectangular, by examining different sizes and different separation distances between electrodes to assess and analyze the important features of the coplanar capacitive electrodes, such as the penetration and strength of the electric field as a function of sensor geometrical properties. Therefore, a detailed analysis of numerical simulation using Finite Element Modelling (FEM) is provided to study these geometric parameters. In addition, the influence of the different frequencies, lift-off, and the presence or absence of a metal shielding plate and guard electrode on the output result is analyzed. Finally, sensors were manufactured and several experiments were carried out under different configurations. Comparison of the numerical simulation results and physical experiments illustrate that they are in good qualitative agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]