Eddy-current testing by flexible microloop magnetic sensor array

A flexible microloop magnetic sensor array has been developed for nondestructive evaluation in nuclear power plants and its fundamental characteristics have been investigated. A flexible micro-eddy current testing (micro-ECT) probe consists of a pancake-type exciting coil of the diameter of 3.2 /spl mu/m and a flexible microloop magnetic sensor array with an area of 14/spl times/14 mm/sup 2/ and a thickness of 125 /spl mu/m. The array has 16 microloop sensors made of copper formed on a flexible polyimide film by sophisticated photolithography. Each coil has 40 turns (8 /spl mu/m line and 8 /spl mu/m space) within an area of 2/spl times/2 mm/sup 2/. The flexible sensor array enables the micro-ECT probe to be applied to an arbitrary geometric configuration. The purpose of this work is to detect and reconstruct flaws in conductive tubing of a steam generator in a pressurized nuclear power reactor by using the flexible micro-ECT probe with higher spatial resolution than that of a conventional ECT probe. The spatial resolution of flaw detection was 3 mm and the detectability of an outer 20% flaw made by electric discharge machining was confirmed. The reconstruction of circumferential and axial flaws using the electromotive force and phase measured with the sensor array is described. Three-dimensional eddy current and magnetic field analysis was also performed for comparison with measured data. Finally, a design study of a practical and robust micro-ECT for a realistic tube configuration with respect to detectability was carried out.