Methods and apparatus for testing a component

• Main Authors: ERTEL, JOHN WILLIAM, GAMBRELL, GIGI OLIVE, MCKNIGHT, WILLIAM STEWART, SUH, UI WON
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 24.05.2006
• Subjects: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MEASURING; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS; MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEARDIMENSIONS; PHYSICS; TESTING

A differential eddy current probe (100) for inspecting a component (52), said eddy current probe comprising: a body portion (102) comprising an outer surface (104) and having a width (106), and a length (108) that is longer than said width; a tip portion (110) extending from said body portion, said tip portion comprising an end (112) and an outer tip (114), said end extending between said body portion and said outer tip, said tip portion having a width (116) and a length (118), said tip portion width gradually decreases from said tip portion end to said outer tip, said tip portion length gradually decreases from said tip portion end to said outer tip; and at least one differential pair of coils (130,132) mounted within said tip portion, each of said at least one pair of coils comprises a substantially cylindrical shape, at least a portion of each of said at least one pair of coils is positioned adjacent to said tip portion outer tip for generating a magnetic field that is substantially perpendicular to a surface of the component being inspected.