Pulsed eddy current imaging device for non destructive evaluation applications

In this paper, an original pulsed eddy current (EC) imaging system dedicated to the enhanced non-destructive evaluation (NDE) of large metallic parts is presented. The system aims to combine the advantages of the pulsed eddy current (PEC) sensors with those of EC imaging devices. The system is based on the combination of a PEC inducer, and a magneto-optical (MO) set-up used to measure the magnetic two-dimensional impulse response of the part under evaluation. The obtained data are in the form of a temporal succession of high resolution EC images, enabling both the spatial and temporal EC characterization of the part. The system is implemented here on aluminum assemblies featuring calibrated defects, and enables the rapid characterization of defects according to their position, dimension and depth within the assembly, thank to the obtained spatio-temporal EC data. The presented system opens the way to a new generation of EC NDE imaging devices.