Flexible eddy current array measurement system for crack detection in weld zones of steel structures
Abstract Crack detection in weld zones of steel structures is essential for ensuring structural safety and reliability. Eddy current (EC) testing is widely used due to its non-contact nature and high sensitivity to surface and sub-surface cracks. This study reports a flexible eddy current array (FEC...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Communications Engineering |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s44172-025-00472-9 |
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| author | Le Quang Trung Nguyen Duc Khuong Tran Thi Hoai Dung Naoya Kasai Tran Mach Tuan Kiet Kouichi Sekino Honoka Fukuda |
| author_facet | Le Quang Trung Nguyen Duc Khuong Tran Thi Hoai Dung Naoya Kasai Tran Mach Tuan Kiet Kouichi Sekino Honoka Fukuda |
| author_sort | Le Quang Trung |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Crack detection in weld zones of steel structures is essential for ensuring structural safety and reliability. Eddy current (EC) testing is widely used due to its non-contact nature and high sensitivity to surface and sub-surface cracks. This study reports a flexible eddy current array (FECA) sensor with six bendable channels designed to detect surface and sub-surface cracks in the weld zones of steel structures. The excitation coils are connected in series to enhance signal intensity, while interleaved detection coils minimize lift-off effects and improve sensitivity. A real-time measurement system was developed by integrating the FECA sensor with a LabVIEW-based digital lock-in amplifier. Experiments using 500 kHz and 5 kHz excitation frequencies demonstrated effective detection of surface and sub-surface cracks, respectively, including under zinc coatings. Despite manual scanning, stable and repeatable signals were recorded across multiple channels. The proposed system offers high sensitivity, real-time capability, and adaptability to complex geometries. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8a4118bb2d09492e80eec17857596d4f |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2731-3395 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Engineering |
| spelling | doaj-art-8a4118bb2d09492e80eec17857596d4f2025-08-20T03:05:24ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Engineering2731-33952025-07-01411910.1038/s44172-025-00472-9Flexible eddy current array measurement system for crack detection in weld zones of steel structuresLe Quang Trung0Nguyen Duc Khuong1Tran Thi Hoai Dung2Naoya Kasai3Tran Mach Tuan Kiet4Kouichi Sekino5Honoka Fukuda6Research Unit of Safety Science for Advanced Engineering Systems, Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Yokohama National UniversityFaculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Transport and Communications (UTC)Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences, Yokohama National UniversityResearch Unit of Safety Science for Advanced Engineering Systems, Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Yokohama National UniversityGraduate School of Environment and Information Sciences, Yokohama National UniversityDepartment of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and TechnologyGraduate School of Environment and Information Sciences, Yokohama National UniversityAbstract Crack detection in weld zones of steel structures is essential for ensuring structural safety and reliability. Eddy current (EC) testing is widely used due to its non-contact nature and high sensitivity to surface and sub-surface cracks. This study reports a flexible eddy current array (FECA) sensor with six bendable channels designed to detect surface and sub-surface cracks in the weld zones of steel structures. The excitation coils are connected in series to enhance signal intensity, while interleaved detection coils minimize lift-off effects and improve sensitivity. A real-time measurement system was developed by integrating the FECA sensor with a LabVIEW-based digital lock-in amplifier. Experiments using 500 kHz and 5 kHz excitation frequencies demonstrated effective detection of surface and sub-surface cracks, respectively, including under zinc coatings. Despite manual scanning, stable and repeatable signals were recorded across multiple channels. The proposed system offers high sensitivity, real-time capability, and adaptability to complex geometries.https://doi.org/10.1038/s44172-025-00472-9 |
| spellingShingle | Le Quang Trung Nguyen Duc Khuong Tran Thi Hoai Dung Naoya Kasai Tran Mach Tuan Kiet Kouichi Sekino Honoka Fukuda Flexible eddy current array measurement system for crack detection in weld zones of steel structures Communications Engineering |
| title | Flexible eddy current array measurement system for crack detection in weld zones of steel structures |
| title_full | Flexible eddy current array measurement system for crack detection in weld zones of steel structures |
| title_fullStr | Flexible eddy current array measurement system for crack detection in weld zones of steel structures |
| title_full_unstemmed | Flexible eddy current array measurement system for crack detection in weld zones of steel structures |
| title_short | Flexible eddy current array measurement system for crack detection in weld zones of steel structures |
| title_sort | flexible eddy current array measurement system for crack detection in weld zones of steel structures |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s44172-025-00472-9 |
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