Characterizing of corrosion backside of steel plates using extremely low-frequency eddy current testing with multiple-frequency magnetic-field exposure

In recent years, aging and deterioration of social infrastructure has become a major problem. A non-destructive testing technique for early detection of degradation (such as internal corrosion) is required to extend the lifetime of these structures. Currently, there are various methods used for inspection. Among these, non-destructive testing using magnetic fields is widely used due to advantages such as ease of use and high speed. However, magnetic inspection is generally employed only for inspection of the surface and subsurface, since it is difficult to inspect internal corrosion using this technique. Therefore, we have developed a device for detecting thinning of steel plates due to corrosion using multiple extremely-low frequencies and a high-sensitivity magnetic sensor. However, it is necessary to sweep multiple frequencies to obtain a frequency spectrum, and this is very timeconsuming, especially in extremely low-frequency ranges. In this study, we have developed an analysis method based on a multiple-frequency applied magnetic field and FFT (fast Fourier transform) analysis of the detection signal. Thus, we have successfully reduced the measurement time while maintaining high detection accuracy.