The Library
A study of EMAT (electromagnetic acoustic transducer) operation on ferromagnetic metals
Tools
Kiteley, Ian David (1999) A study of EMAT (electromagnetic acoustic transducer) operation on ferromagnetic metals. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.
|
Text
WRAP_thesis_Kiteley_1999.pdf - Submitted Version Download (14Mb) | Preview |
Official URL: http://webcat.warwick.ac.uk/record=b1369288~S1
Abstract
Ultrasound is widely used as a tool for non destructive testing, being completely non
invasive and much safer than some other methods, X ray techniques for example. Its
low relative cost is also attractive purely from a business standpoint. Its use,
however, is restricted more to applications where the ultrasonic transducer and test
piece can be brought into close contact, thus allowing the use of couplant gels. In
situations where a fully non contacting method is required the cost and complexity of
an ultrasonic system is considerably higher. These usually take the form of laser
based systems where a high powered laser pulse is focussed onto a sample surface
and induces an ultrasonic pulse which is detected on the opposite sample face by
some other type of transducer. Whilst giving high signal amplitudes etc. these
systems are expensive, require regular maintenance and are very difficult to use on
rough and dirty surfaces. A much cheaper alternative is to use EMATs
(Electromagnetic Acoustic Transducers)
EMATs have enjoyed comparative success in generating both ultrasonic guided
waves and bulk waves in oxides, invars, some steels and particularly aluminium.
Their mode of operation means they can be used in the non contact regime and are
also much cheaper than laser based systems. However, their low efficiency has
precluded their use on many steels due to the lack of appreciable signal amplitude.
This is especially true for the case of the spiral coil EMAT, most steels requiring
significant signal averaging to discern the ultrasonic echoes induced by the
transducer. The work presented in this thesis was aimed at determining which
physical properties of the steels had the greatest influence on the electromagnetic
transduction mechanism. The mechanism is known to be of purely Lorentz force
origin in non magnetic metals whilst magnetostriction is thought to play an important
role in ferromagnets.
This suggestion has been shown to be incorrect in the case of low tensile carbon and
mild steels in that no direct correlation between magnetostriction and spiral coil
EMAT performance was found, strongly suggesting a predominantly Lorentzian
ultrasonic source. The same was not true for duplex stainless steels and invar that
were found to exhibit significantly non linear dependencies of signal amplitude on
applied magnetic field. Although it remains unclear whether this was due to a
predominantly magnetostrictive source it is almost certainly linked to its two phase
microstructure.
Measurements of high temperature EMAT efficiency have shown a correlation
between the Curie point, Tc, and the disappearance of shear wave signals in all of steels and alloys tested. The emergence of large longitudinal mode signals was also
observed at temperatures just above Tc in several of the ferromagnetic samples,
although the effect was absent in nickel. Its absence in this particular sample
contradicts previously reported observations using the same EMAT geometry by
other authors.
Use of a modified Michelson interferometer, as a detector, has shown the existence
of a frequency doubling effect in all the samples tested, both ferromagnetic and non.
The effect was found to be suppressed on application of a magnetic field, this
behaviour being consistent with the action of either a 'rectified' magnetostrictive
source or a self field Lorentz force. Definitive identification as to which of these is
the dominant mechanism was found to be impossible given the small signal
amplitudes although the effect itself has not previously been documented as far as the author is aware.
Item Type: | Thesis (PhD) |
---|---|
Subjects: | Q Science > QC Physics |
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Electromagnetism , Ferromagnetic materials |
Official Date: | September 1999 |
Institution: | University of Warwick |
Theses Department: | Department of Physics |
Thesis Type: | PhD |
Publication Status: | Unpublished |
Supervisor(s)/Advisor: | Palmer, S. B. |
Extent: | [xv], [114] leaves |
Language: | eng |
Request changes or add full text files to a record
Repository staff actions (login required)
View Item |
Downloads
Downloads per month over past year