Real time detection of fatigue cracks on steel structures by applying square wave induction

For years the Eddy currents principle together with inductive thermography have been applied to detect cracks or defects in metallic machine components. In case a component has a crack, by inducing Eddy currents within a coil, it is possible to cause a temperature increase in the edges of the crack. This temperature variation can be observed by using an infrared camera. Thus, the crack is registered and observed in the infrared images, which are later analyzed. However, currently used systems require an enormous amount of power and a long time for image processing. For this reason, applying this method to large steel structures such as bridges, cranes, wind power towers, pipe lines or offshore oil stations has been much more complex. To overcome these limitations, a light portable system that optimally recreates the Eddy currents principle has been developed and used in this research. This system generates a square wave AC voltage, it uses considerably less power and it is capable of detecting cracks in real time. This paper presents the simulations and experiments carried out on two different structural steel specimens to demonstrate the efficiency of the system and its potential in the field of nondestructive testing. • The proposed setup generates the electromagnetic excitation through square waves instead of sinus waves as the common setups do. • The proposed setup allows to detect fatigue cracks on steel structures in real time. • The crack detection is performed by acquiring IR images during electromagnetic excitation. • The electromagnetic excitation causes a temperature increment on the crack edges and tips. • The proposed setup is light and portable.