A quantitative crack monitoring method based on crack disturbed voltage

Abstract

Purpose

The flexible eddy current array sensor has the characteristics of lightweight and flexibility, which has a great application prospect in the field of fatigue crack monitoring. But the exciting layout and feature signal extraction have a great influence on the crack monitoring characteristics of the sensor. This paper aims to propose a method using crack disturbed voltage as sensitivity to characterize crack propagation.

Design/methodology/approach

Flexible eddy current array sensors with reverse and codirectional exciting layout are proposed, and the advantages and disadvantages of three characterization methods based on the change of trans-impedance amplitude, the change of the trans-impedance’s real and imaginary part and the crack disturbed voltage are compared and analyzed by finite element simulation. Finally, the fatigue crack monitoring experiment is carried out.

Findings

The crack disturbed voltage and the change of trans-impedance’s imaginary part can effectively characterize the crack propagation for sensors with different exciting layouts. The codirectional exciting layout sensor has better crack identification sensitivity than the reverse exciting layout sensor, especially the induction coil 2. When the distance between the exciting coil and the induction coil is 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 mm, it is increased by 372.09%, 295.24% and 231.43%, respectively.

Originality/value

Crack disturbed voltage can effectively characterize the crack propagation for sensors with two different exciting layouts.

Citation

Fan, X. and He, Y. (2022), "A quantitative crack monitoring method based on crack disturbed voltage", Sensor Review, Vol. 42 No. 6, pp. 707-724. https://doi.org/10.1108/SR-05-2022-0212