Abstract

A novel microwave and millimeter wave method for the detection of surface-breaking cracks in metals is discussed and demonstrated. This technique utilizes a radially-polarized probe to scan a desired surface that may contain such a crack. When a crack is within the probe aperture, the reflection properties of the probe change and thus indicate the presence and location of the crack. The uniqueness of this method is in the fact that the probe consists of a radially-polarized open-ended waveguide, making detection of a crack independent of its orientation relative to the probe polarization vector direction. This is a significant practical advantage when compared with other prominent existing microwave surface crack detection techniques. This method can also be used to detect cracks covered by dielectric layers such as paint and rust. These efficacy of this method is demonstrated through measurements and electromagnetic simulations.

How to Cite:

Dvorsky, M. . & Zoughi, R. ., (2019) “Detection of surface-breaking cracks in metals using a radially-polarized microwave probe”, Review of Progress in Quantitative Nondestructive Evaluation .