Physical Basis of EMAT

Heimsheim 2014

Content
1. Principle of Electromagnetic Acoustic Transformation ................................................................. 3
1.1 Principle of wall thickness measurement ................................................................................ 4
2. Detecting of Defects by means of SV-share Waves ................................................................... 6
3. Detecting of surface defect by means of EMAT ........................................................................... 9

1. Principle of Electromagnetic Acoustic Transformation

EMAT (Electromagnetic-acoustic Transducer) is the device, which transforms the electromagnetic
energy into the energy of ultrasonic waves and (after it reflecting from the opposite surface) performs
the inverse transformation.
The active element of the EMAT is an electrical coil of a special butterfly shape. This exactly
symmetrical shape allows effective suppressing of an external electromagnetic noise and, finally,
has opened the way to wide industrial application of the EMAT-technology. Example of such a coil
is represented below.

Length of the active zone

Width of the
active zone

Pic. 4. A Butterfly coil: a perfect device for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves normal to
the plate or pipe surface direction (patented).

Pic. 5. Principle of ultrasonic shear waves generation with EMAT. Waves are generated exactly
normal to the surface.
Alternate current feeds the induction coil, causing, causing electromagnetic oscillations, which, in
turns, induce eddy current on the surface of the test object. Eddy current interfaces with the
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permanent magnetic field, creating ultrasonic waves directly on the surface of the test object. These
waves propagate in the test object, reflecting and deflecting from the walls or defect back to EMAT
coil.
1.1 Principle of wall thickness measurement
The physical principle of wall thickness measurement is based on measuring the time interval
between two consecutive reflections of ultrasonic wave from the bottom surface (see picture below).
These reflections, received by EMAT, are also called as Bottom echo pulses.
-

The 1-st bottom pulse is the first visible in the A-scan reflection from the bottom surface.
Wave propagates from point A, reflects at point B and being received at point C=A (see
Pic.11 below).
The 2-nd bottom pulse is the same signal but after three logical the reflections according to
the following program: transmitting - bottom surface top surface bottom surface receiving. Wave propagates as A B C D and then being received at point E = C =
A (see Pic.11 below).

Pic 5. Ultrasonic wave propagation

Time T between two adjacent bottom pulses is proportional to wall the thickness H:
H = C x T/2,
Where C velocity of ultrasonic wave propagation. It is a physical constant of the tested material.

Pic 6. A-scan with received 1-st and 2-nd bottom echo pulses
Therefore, having an information on time T and ultrasound velocity C the system can easily calculate
the actual thickness of the material according to the formula above.

Pic 7. Wall thickness measurement of tubes with ultrasonic waves generated and received by
EMAT

2. Detecting of Defects by means of SV-share Waves

The physical principle of defect detection is based on receiving and analysis of waves, reflected
from the cracks on a top and bottom surface of the sample. These waves are being transform by
EMAT to weak electrical signals, which after amplification and processing are displayed in the A
scan.

Generation of Inclined SV-waves by means of EMAT

For cracks on the bottom surface, signal in the A-scan is correspond with the wave witch propagates
from point A, reflects at point B and then being received at A (see Pic. below):

Pic. 6. Detection of crack on the bottom surface

A-scan with reflection from crack, located on a bottom surface of the sample
For cracks on the top surface, signal in the A-scan is correspond with the wave witch propagates
from point A, reflects by surface at point B, reflects by defect at point C, and that after second
reflection at point B is being received at point A (see Pic. below):

Detection of crack on the top surface

A-scan with reflection from crack, located on a top surface of the sample
Changing of the initial pulse the working frequency allowing transmitting and receiving of the angle
range of about 30 to 45 by (for angle 32 the working frequency is about 1.5 MHz).
There is one more useful physical factor facilitating high and stable sensitivity of SV-waves
transmitted and received by the EMAT. The principle is explained in the diagram below:

Detection of defects using a mutual transformation

of SV-shear and lateral longitudinal ultrasonic waves
It is well known that if the SV-wave propagation angle arcsin (Ct/Cl) in steel is about 32o 33o
degrees (the critical angle), longitudinal waves will propagate along both surfaces of a specimen.
These waves can be reflected by surface or subsurface defects and transformed into SV- waves
again. A mutual transformation of SV-shear waves and longitudinal ultrasonic waves is a well-known
and an extremely useful physical phenomena, which is the basis of many effective technical
applications like the famous Delta technique of welded seams ultrasonic examination.
It is very easy to keep the angle stable with the EMAT: the beam angle do not depend on the
probe inclination and test object dimensions or shape. On the contrary, a piezo probe will not work
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in our case: even a little ultrasonic beam inclination or change of the tube shape (that is practically
inevitable with piezo probes) will immediately influence the beam angle.

Inclination of the EMAT

This phenomena allows one to extend distances for optimal detection of defects located on both
sides of the wall. This is a very important feature of the EMAT as it substantially increases an
industrial reliability of the test results. This is a great advantage of the EMAT-technology.
Thus, SV- waves transmitted by the EMAT are an extremely effective instrument to detect internal
and external defects in flat samples, tubes, pipes, cylinders, and etc.
3. Detecting of surface defect by means of EMAT

Generation of Surface waves by means of EMAT

Based on this physical principle described above, EMAT probes are developed for ultrasonic
inspection of surface or subsurface of materials. EMAT transforms electromagnetic energy into the
energy of surface elastic waves and (after interacting with defects) performs the inverse
transformation. This double transformation is carried out in order to detect surface and subsurface
defects in a very reliable and intelligent way without mechanical rotation of probes.
END OF THE DOCUMENT
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