Groove dimensioning using remote field eddy current inspection^*

Measurement Department, École Supérieure d'Électricité, Plateau du Moulon, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette, France

Corresponding author: marie-eve.davoust@supelec.fr

Received: 11 May 2000
Accepted: 11 July 2000
Published online: 15 September 2000

Abstract

The remote field eddy current technique is used for dimensioning the grooves that may occur in the ferromagnetic pipes. We propose a method to estimate the depth and the length of corrosion grooves from measurement of a pick-up coil signal phase at different positions close to the defect. Groove dimensioning requires the knowledge of the physical relation between measurements and defect dimensions; therefore finite-element calculations are performed to design parametric algebraic functions for modeling the physical phenomena. Different models are possible; the choice of this algebraic function is discussed from identification criteria. By means of new measurement formalism and two previously defined measurement relations, estimates of groove sizes may be given. In the first approach, algebraic function parameters and groove dimensions are linked through a polynomial function; this approach is proved to be better than a second one which tries to take advantage of more physical considerations.