An approach to ERO problem in displacement eddy current sensor

Eddy current (EC) sensors are widely applied in displacement (proximity) measurement as well as nondestructive testing and evaluation for defect detection or material characterisation. For displacement measurement, one of the research aims is to overcome measurement uncertainties due to material variation and inhomogeneity. This problem is called as electrical runout (ERO) problem. In this paper, an approach to ERO problem is presented based on the coaxial ellipse distribution (CED) pattern of the EC sensor. In the CED pattern, the real and the imaginary parts of the magnetic flux density in the z-component (B-z), with the variation of the sample conductivity under the different lift-offs, are located on an ellipse curve. Furthermore, the CED pattern is verified by the different sensor specifications, such as excitation frequency and probe coil geometry. According to the CED pattern, the ERO problem in EC sensors can be overcome well when the sample is magnetised to saturation.