Patent · US Expired

Flexible eddy current surface measurement array for detecting near surface flaws in a conductive part

US5389876A · kind A · utility

80Cited by
7References
29Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 6, 1991
Grant dateFeb 14, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 6, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N27/904
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An eddy current probe array is disclosed comprising a plurality of spatially correlated eddy current probe elements sufficiently disposed within a flexible interconnecting structure to collect a discrete plurality of spatially correlated eddy current measurements for nondestructive near surface flaw detection. A plurality of precisely fabricated, substantially identical elements being sufficiently distributed can accommodate inspecting an area of conductor covered by the active width of the array in a single uni-directional scan. The array structure can flexibly conform to accommodate inspection of large, irregular, curved conductive surfaces which cannot be inspected by conventional means.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.