A boundary integral method for eddy current flow around cracks in thin plates

A boundary element method which employs a Green's function for a crack has been developed to calculate the induced eddy current flow around cracks in thin conducting plates. The theoretical equations employ a stream function for the current density vector and is equivalent to the electric field vector potential method. A low frequency or large skin depth approximation leads to a Poisson equation for steady harmonic inductor fields. Induced currents around a crack in a square plate due to a uniform inductor field for various crack positions and sites have been calculated in this paper. The effect of the relative position and length of the crack, with respect to the plate width, on the eddy current density near the tips of the crack is given special attention. These results may be useful to simulate eddy current flow detection phenomena.