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Eddy current surface inspection probe for aircraft fastener inspection, and inspection method

  • US 5,510,709 A
  • Filed: 04/19/1995
  • Issued: 04/23/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1993
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An eddy current surface inspection probe for detecting flaws in a structure having a feature which is nominally circularly symmetrical about a feature axis, said probe comprising:

  • a drive coil centered on a probe axis arranged to coincide with the feature axis during inspection for inducing an eddy current in the structure;

    an even plurality of eddy current sense elements for producing signals in response to the eddy current, said sense elements being arranged in at least one circle centered on said probe axis and organized as a plurality of associated pairs of sense elements located at diametrically opposed positions on said at least one circle; and

    a plurality of interconnecting means, each associated with one of said pairs, the interconnecting means associated with a given pair comprising means for electrically interconnecting the sense elements of the given pair such that the output signal of one sense element of the given pair is subtracted from the output signal of the other sense element thereof to produce a data signal, said interconnecting means being electrically isolated from one another to cause each of said pairs to produce a separate data signal.

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