Research on Remote-Field Eddy Current Focusing Method for Detecting Hidden Defects in Aircraft Riveted Components

Most of the aircraft skin is assembled by riveted structural parts, and the riveted holes are prone to cracks due to stress concentration, so it is urgent to carry out non-destructive testing research on aircraft riveted components. In this paper, a planar remote-field eddy current focusing detection probe was designed to study the hidden defects around the holes of aircraft riveted components, and a 3D simulation model was established for the detection of hidden defects in aircraft riveted components. The structural parameters of the focused remote-field eddy current probe were optimized by combining simulation and experiment, and the planar remote-field eddy current focusing detection test was carried out. The simulation and results showed that: When the inclination angle of the excitation coil is 10 degrees and the coil spacing is 0 mm, the optimized focused remote-field eddy current probe can effectively detect the defect in length x width x depth of 10 mm x 0.2 mm x 1 mm under the buried depth of 9 mm. When the buried depth of the defect is 6-9 mm, the focused remote-field eddy current probe has a better detection capability than the non-focused remote-field eddy current probe.