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RFT Theory of Operation

A probe consisting of an exciter coil and one or more detectors is pulled through the tube. The exciter coil
and the detector coil(s) are rigidly fixed at an axial distance of two tube diameters or more between them.
The exciter coil is driven with a relatively low frequency sinusoidal current to produce a magnetic field.

This changing magnetic field induces strong circumferential eddy currents which extend axially, as well as
radially in the tube wall.

These eddy currents, in turn, produce their own magnetic field, which opposes the magnetic field from the
exciter coil. Due to resistance in the tube wall and imperfect inductive coupling, the magnetic field from the
eddy currents does not fully counterbalance the magnetic exciting field. However, since the eddy current
field is more spread out than the exciter field, the magnetic field from the eddy currents extends farther
along the tube axis. The interaction between the two fields is fairly complex but the simple fact is that the
exciter field is dominant near the exciter coil and the eddy current field becomes dominant at some distance
away from the exciter coil.
The receiving coils are positioned at a distance where the magnetic field from the eddy currents is dominant.
In other words, they are placed at a distance where they are unaffected by the magnetic field from the
exciter coil but can still adequately measure the field strength from the secondary magnetic field.
Electromagnetic induction occurs as the changing magnetic field cuts across the pick-up coil array. By
monitoring the consistency of the voltage induced in the pick-up coils one can monitor changes in the test
specimen. The strength of the magnetic field at this distance from the excitation coil is fairly weak but it is
sensitive to changes in the pipe wall from the I.D. to the O.D.

RFT Theory of Operation (cont.)

The Zones
Direct Couple Zone
The region where the magnetic field from the exciter coil is interacting with the tube wall
to produce a concentrated field of eddy currents is called the direct field or direct coupled
zone. This zone does not contribute a great deal of useful data to the RFT inspection due
to problems with rather high noise levels due to the intense varying magnetic field from
the excitation coil.

Transition Zone
The region just outside the direct couple zone is known as the transition zone. In this
zone there is a great deal of interaction between the magnet flux from the exciter coil and
the flux induced by the eddy currents. As can be seen in the graph, the interaction of the
two opposing fields is strongest near the ID of the tube and fairly subtle at the OD of the
tube. The "resultant" field strength (the magnetic field at the sum of the two fields) in this
region tends to change abruptly on the ID due to the interaction of the fields with
differing directional characteristics of the two fields.
The receiver coil's signal phase, with respect to the exciter coil, as a function of distance
between the two coils is also shown in the graph. When the two coils are directly coupled
and there is no interference from a secondary field, their currents are in phase as seen at
location zero. In the transition zone, it can be seen that the phase swiftly shifts, indicating
the location where the magnetic field from the eddy currents becomes dominate and the
start of the remote field.

Remote Field Zone


The remote field zone is the region in which direct coupling between the exciter coil and
the receiver coil(s) is negligible. Coupling takes place indirectly through the generation
of eddy currents and their resulting magnetic field. The remote field zone starts to occur
at approximately two tube diameters away from the exciter coil. The amplitude of the
field strength on the OD actually exceeds that of the ID after an axial distance of
approximately 1.65 tube diameters. Therefore, RFT is sensitive to changes in material
that occur at the outside diameter as well as the inside diameter of the tube.

RFT Probes

Probes for inspection of pipe and tubing are typically of the bobbin (ID) variety. These
probes use either a single or dual excitation coil to develop an electromagnetic field
through the pipe or tube. The excitation coils are driven by alternating current. The
sensing coil or coils are located a few tube diameters away in the remote field zone.
Probes can be used in differential or absolute modes for detection of general
discontinuities, pitting, and variations from the I.D. in ferromagnetic tubing. To insure
maximum sensitivity, each probe is specifically designed for the inside diameter,
composition, and the wall thickness of a particular tube.

RFT Instrumentation

Instruments used for RFT inspection are often dual use eddy current / RFT instruments
employing multi-frequency technology. The excitation current from these instruments is
passed on to the probe that contains an exciter coil, sometimes referred to as the driver
coil. The receiving coil voltage is typically in the microvolt range, so an amplifier is
required to boost the signal strength.

Certain systems will incorporate a probe excitation method known as multiplexing. This
utilizes an extreme high speed switching method that excites the probe at more than one
frequency in sequence. Another method of coil excitation that may be used is
simultaneous injection. In this coil stimulation technique, the exciter coil is excited with
multiple frequencies at the same time while incorporating filter schemes that subtract
aspects of the acquired data. The instrument monitors the pickup coils and passes the data
to the display section of the instrument. Some systems are capable of recording the data
to some type of storage device for later review.
RFT Signal Interpretation

The signals obtained with RFT are very similar to those obtained with conventional eddy
current testing. When all the proper conditions are met, changes in the phase of the
receiver signal with respect to the phase of the exciter voltage are directly proportional to
the sum of the wall thickness within the inspection area. Localized changes in wall
thickness result in phase and amplitude changes. These changes can be indicative of
defects such as cracks, corrosion pitting or corrosion/erosion thinning.

RFT Reference Standards

Reference standards for the RFT inspection of tubular products come in many variations.
In order to produce reliable and consistent test results, the material used for
manufacturing calibration standards must closely match the physical and chemical
properties of the inspection specimen. Some of the important properties that must be
considered include conductivity, permeability and alloy content. In addition, tube
dimensions including I.D., O.D. and wall thickness must also be controlled.

The type of damage mechanisms that are expected to be encountered must also be
carfully considered when developing or selecting a reference standard. In order to get
accurate quantitative data, artificial discontinuity conditions are typically machined into
the standards that will closely match those conditions that may be found in the tubing
bundle.

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