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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 March 2011
The presence of cracks, phase segregation, or even submicron-sized grain boundaries creates a disruption of the magnetic field response to an externally applied electrical current running through the material. These effects can be detected through the magnetic field leakage in the external near-surface region. Using a computer model of an array of magnetic tunnel junction detectors, magnetic “signatures” of various faults and/or material borders and domains have been calculated using finite element analysis and portrayed by icons. We have considered a number of typical cracks and flaws, of different dimensions and orientations, within the bulk of the component. The database of “signatures” thus generated allows fast recognition of faults and generation of their images in real time. Significant efforts have been made to provide an adequate three-dimensional visualization of the shape and distribution of microcracks, the magnetic field lines, and delineation of the position of the faults in relation to the surface.