Hybrid wound/etched winding constructs for scanning and monitoring
First Claim
1. A test circuit comprising:
- a drive coil having at least two conducting wire windings to impose a magnetic field in a test material when driven by an electric current; and
at least one micro-fabricated sense element proximate to the drive coil for sensing the response of the test material to the imposed magnetic field.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Combined wound and micro-fabricated winding constructs are described for the inspection of materials and the detection and characterization of hidden features or flaws. These constructs can be configured as sensors or sensor arrays that are surface mounted or scanned over conducting and/or magnetizable test materials. The well-defined geometry obtained micro-fabricated windings and from carefully wound coils with known winding positions permits the use of model based inversions of sensed responses into material properties. In a preferred embodiment, the primary winding is a wound coil and the sense elements are etched or printed. The drive or sense windings can also be mounted under fasteners to improve sensitivity to hidden flaws. Ferrites and other means may be used to guide the magnetic flux and enhance the magnetic field in the test material.
44 Citations
62 Claims
-
1. A test circuit comprising:
-
a drive coil having at least two conducting wire windings to impose a magnetic field in a test material when driven by an electric current; and
at least one micro-fabricated sense element proximate to the drive coil for sensing the response of the test material to the imposed magnetic field. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18)
-
-
13. A method for characterizing a material comprising:
-
disposing a drive coil proximate to a test material surface, the drive coil having at least two conducting wire windings to impose a magnetic field in a test material when driven by an electric current; and
measuring output of each sense element to sense response of the test material to the imposed magnetic field. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
-
27. A method for monitoring damage at a fastener comprising:
-
mounting a drive coil having at least two conducting wire windings with a support material shaped in the form of a washer;
placing the washer on a test substrate under the fastener;
placing at least one microfabricated sense element proximate to the drive coil; and
measuring a response from each sense element as a magnetic field is imposed in the test substrate by an electric current driven through the drive coil. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
-
-
47. A method for monitoring damage at a fastener comprising:
-
placing a drive coil having at least two conducting wire windings proximate to a fastener;
mounting at least one microfabricated sense element to a test substrate under a fastener; and
measuring a response from each sense element as a magnetic field is imposed in the test substrate by an electric current driven through the drive coil. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62)
-
Specification