Near electrical resonance signal enhancement (NERSE) in eddy-current crack detection

An investigation was performed into the effects of operating an absolute eddy-current testing (ECT) probe at frequencies close to its electrical resonance. A previously undocumented defect signal enhancement phenomenon, resulting from associated shifts in electrical resonant frequency, was observed and characterized. Experimental validation was performed on three notch defects on a typical aerospace superalloy, Titanium 6Al-4V. A conventional absolute ECT probe was operated by sweeping through a frequency range about the electrical resonance of the system (1−5MHz). The phenomenon results in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) peak enhancements by a factor of up to 3.7, at frequencies approaching resonance, compared to those measured at 1 MHz. The defect signal enhancement peaks are shown to be a result of resonant frequency shifts of the system due to the presence of defects within the material. A simple, operational approach for raising the sensitivity of conventional industrial eddy-current testing is proposed, based on the principles of the observed near electrical resonance signal enhancement (NERSE) phenomenon. The simple procedural change of operating within the NERSE frequency band does not require complex probe design, data analysis or, necessarily, identical coils. Therefore, it is a valuable technique for improving sensitivity, which complements other ECT methods.