Method and Apparatus for Non-Contact Hole Eccentricity and Diameter Measurement

This invention relates generally to eddy current testing methods and apparatus, and more particularly to an eddy current type of method and apparatus for measuring hole diameter and determining the eccentricity of the hole.

Hole inspection systems utilizing such devices as dowel pins and hole gauges, are generally known. Also known are capacitance type hole probe systems as well as systems using eddy current probes including surface probes and hole probes. A hole probe utilized in an eddy current inspection system is relatively close to the same diameter as the hole being inspected, but must be small enough to fit into the hole without making any contact therewith.

In an eddy current probe, eddy currents are produced in an electrically conductive test piece by a coil through which an alternating current flows, and as a result of the eddy currents produced, impedance of the coil and the voltage applied to the coil are changed and thus measurement of a particular characteristic of the hole is determined by a measured change in the impedance of the sensor coil.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an improvement in eddy current testing methods and apparatus.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved eddy current method and apparatus for measuring hole eccentricity and diameter of a specimen under test.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improvement in eddy current testing methods and apparatus for making repeated hole eccentricity and diameter measurements accurately and reliably without operator intervention.

Briefly, the foregoing and other objects are achieved by inserting an eddy current hole probe into a hole specimen and automatically moving the probe in two orthogonal (X, Y) directions in response to the impedance change of an eddy current coil located in the probe as a function of distance from the surface of the hole. The probe is centered in the hole by a system controller which operates to minimize the variation of the coil impedance around the hole. The diameter of the hole is then determined from an average impedance measurement. Following this, a plot of the hole eccentricity is generated by determining the impedance deviation from the average coil impedance value as a function of the angular rotation of the probe in the hole. Repeating measurements of the hole eccentricity for a plurality of hole depths and generating a visual display of the hole eccentricities as a function of depth provides an indication of the overall hole eccentricity.

The following detailed description will be more readily understood when considered together with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an electrical-mechanical block diagram of a preferred embodiment of an apparatus for implementing the subject invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a three coil hole probe utilized which can be used in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram helpful in understanding the operation of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a characteristic curve illustrating the relationship between liftoff distance and coil impedance of a hole probe used in the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a series of characteristic curves illustrating hole eccentricity in a specimen hole as a function of depth.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1, shown thereat is a physical layout of a liftoff eddy current testing system for performing non-contact hole eccentricity and diameter measurements of a hole 10 located, for example, in a specimen 12. The specimen 12 is positioned on a platform 14 mounted on a stationary base 16. The platform 14 is movable in two orthogonal (X,Y) axis directions in response to electrical signals applied to X and Y axis drives 18 and 20. The X and Y axis drives 18 and 20 are controllable by digital computer apparatus 22, having a video display unit 24 associated therewith, and is used for mechanical control, data acquisition, processing and analysis.

An eddy current probe 26 which operates on the eddy current liftoff principle, i.e. change in the impedance of a sensor coil 28 as a function of distance away from an electrically conductive surface, a typical characteristic curve of which is illustrated in FIG. 4, is fitted to a rotational eddy current probe scanner 30. As shown in FIG. 4, coil impedance changes dramatically for a lift-off distance of 0.1 in. or less.

The sensor coil 28 is coupled back to an instrumentation sub-system including an impedance analyzer 32, and a rotational controller 34. The eddy current probe scanner 30 includes means for not only rotating the probe 26, but also varying its position along a third orthogonal (Z) axis which corresponds to depth within the specimen hole 10. For purposes of illustration, the scanner device 30 is shown in FIG. 1 mounted on a support member 36 physically attached to the base member 16.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, FIG. 2 is illustrative of a multi-section hole probe 26' which includes three sensor coils 28.sub.1, 28.sub.2 and 28.sub.3 which are located on three probe sections 38.sub.1, 38.sub.2 and 38.sub.3 of mutually different sizes, becoming smaller towards the outer end. The probe sections permit three different hole size range measurements to be made without changing probes 26 for the particular range of hole sizes being examined.

In order to understand the operation of the equipment shown in FIG. 1, and the method by which measurements are made of hole diameter and eccentricity, reference is now made to FIG. 3 which depicts the relationship between the eddy current probe 26 including its sensor coil 28 and a hole 10 under test. As shown, the probe 26, having a diameter of r.sub.p, is located off center of the hole 10 of radius r.sub.h by the polar coordinates l.sub.0 and .theta..sub.0 between centers 40 and 42. The eddy current liftoff principle is utilized for measurement of hole eccentricity and diameter and comprises detecting the change of impedance Z of the sensor coil 28 as a function of distance from the surface 44 of the hole 10 in the radial direction.

The liftoff distance l can be expressed by the following relationship:

The purpose of the invention is, (a) to measure the diameter of the hole and (b) determine a measure of its eccentricity or out of roundness at a predetermined depth. These parameters are determined in terms of the coil impedance Z which can be expressed as:

where I is the current in the probe coil 28, E is the electric field induced by the coil 28, H is the magnetic field induced by the coil 28, and s is the area enclosed by E and H.

The coil impedance Z which includes two components, resistance R and inductive reactance XL, is a function of liftoff distance l and which can be expressed as follows:

In order to center the probe 26 at the point 40 shown in FIG. 3, the task becomes one of minimizing the length l.sub.0 which can be expressed as:

where x and y are unit vectors along the X and Y axis. This is accomplished by minimizing the composite deviation .sigma. which is the root mean square value of the difference between the scaler values .vertline.Z.vertline. of coil impedance and the value of the average impedance Z for a plurality (n) of points around the inside surface 44 of the hole 10 and which can be expressed as:

The average impedance Z can be expressed as:

and is proportional to hole diameter (l+r.sub.p).

In operation, a specimen 12 with a hole 10 to be tested is mounted on the table 14 and the probe 26 is lowered to a predetermined depth therein either manually or automatically by the probe scanner assembly 30 under the control of the computer 22 which is coupled thereto through the impedance analyzer 32 and the rotational controller 34. The impedance Z of the sensor coil 28 is first calibrated for an absolute liftoff distance l. Following this, the eddy current probe is rotated in the hole 10 at a predetermined speed, typically 6 rpm or less. The impedance Z at a predetermined number(n) of angular positions is determined by the impedance analyzer 32 and is fed to the computer 22 through a computer interface for integration and computation. The computer next generates signals which are coupled to the X and Y axis drives 18 and 20 for centering the probe 26. This is accomplished by first calculating the average impedance Z and then adjusting the X and Y axis positions of the probe 26 until the value of the composite deviation .sigma. as stated in equation (5) is a minimum. Each composite deviation computation requires a measured set of deviation values comprising the difference between .vertline.Z.vertline. and Z for a predetermined number (n) points around the periphery of the hole 10. Once centering of the probe has been accomplished, the eccentricity of the hole at a particular depth is determined from a new set of deviation values.

As shown in FIG. 5, the eccentricity can be plotted and/or displayed for one or more probe depths where, for example, straight dashed-line 46 indicates zero deviation from average impedance Z for a particular hole depth, while the curved solid line 48 indicates the actual deviation around the inside surface of the hole 10. In FIG. 5, measurement is taken for a plurality of depths between the top and bottom of the hole 10 and is displayed to provide an eccentricity profile of the hole 10; however, it should be noted that when desired, the eccentricity for a single depth can be generated and displayed.

Thus what has been shown and described is a non-contact hole eccentricity and diameter measurement system which can be fully automated so that accuracy, reliability and repeatability are assured.

Having thus shown and described what is at present considered to be the preferred method and embodiment of the invention, it should be known that the same has been made by way of illustration and not limitation. Accordingly, all modifications, alterations and changes coming within the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims are meant to be included.