Nondestructive Examination of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Composites Using the Eddy Current Method

Abstract

This paper presents the results of experiments using the eddy current system designated for nondestructive inspection of carbon fiber-reinforced composites. For this purpose, the eddy current testing system with a differential transducer with two pairs of excitation coils oriented perpendicularly and a central pick-up coil was utilized. The transducer measures the magnetic flux difference flowing through the pick-up coil. The transducer of this design has already been successfully utilized to inspect isotropic metal structures. However, the anisotropy of the composites and their lower conductivity compared to metal components made the transducer parameters adjustment essential. Thus, various excitation frequencies were considered and investigated. The system was evaluated using a sample made of orthogonally woven carbon fiber-reinforced composites with two artificial flaws (the notches with a maximum relative depth of 30% and 70%, respectively, thickness of 0.4 mm, and a length of 5 mm). The main goal was to find a configuration suitable for detecting hidden flaws in such materials.

Keywords

• nondestructive testing (NDT)
• nondestructive evaluation (NDE)
• eddy current testing (ECT)
• carbon fiber-reinforced composites
• differential eddy current probe
• hidden flaws detection