Review of advances in quantitative eddy current nondestructive evaluation

A comprehensive review of advancements in eddy current (EC) modeling is presented. This paper contains three main sections: a general treatise of EC theory, the thin skin EC forward modeling, and the EC inverse problem. (1) The general treatise of eddy current theory begins with an exposition of the reciprocity formulas for evaluating probe impedance changes, which are derivable from first principles. Two versions of the reciprocity formulas, one with a surface integral and the other with a volume integral, are given. Any particular type of defect, as well as both one-port and two-port probes, can be treated. Second, a brief account of analytical and numerical methods for calculating the field distributions is presented. Third, theory of probe/material interactions with various defect types is described. (2) The paper then proceeds to the forward modeling section, which contains a detailed treatment of the eddy current forward problem for surface breaking cracks and EDM notches in the thin skin approximation. (3) The inverse problem section begins with a general review of commonly used inversion methods, exemplified by selected references from the literature, followed by more detailed examinations of EC inversions for surface breaking cracks and slots. The last part of this section is devoted to the inverse problem for layered structures. Although being a review in nature, the paper contains a number of new accounts for time-domain eddy current interactions. In particular, a modification is proposed to the reciprocity formula in order to take a better account of pulsed eddy current signals.