Technical Diagnostics and Non-Destructive Testing, 2022, №03



2022 №03 (03)

DOI of Article 10.37434/tdnk2022.03.04

2022 №03 (05)

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Technical Diagnostics and Non-Destructive Testing #3, 2022, pp. 22-29

Self-generator eddy current flaw detectors for operational control of aircraft structures

V.M. Uchanin¹, S.A. Bychkov², O.I. Semenets², V.Ya. Derecha², S.A. Aleksandrov³

¹G.V. Karpenko Physico-Mechanical Institute of NASU. 5 Naukova str., 79060, Lviv, Ukraine. E-mail: vuchanin@gmail.com
²SC «Antonov». 1 Acad. Tupolev str., 03062, Kyiv, Ukraine. E-mail: derecha@antonov.com
³SC «Ivchenko-Progress». 2 Ivanova str., 69068, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine

Initiation and propagation of defects of fatigue and corrosion origin is one of the causes for violation of airworthiness and emergency damage of aircraft in service. Periodical nondestructive testing of critical components at all the stages of aircraft life cycle is an extremely important factor to ensure their safe service. The eddy current technique has a number of advantages, compared to other methods of aircraft structure testing, owing to high sensitivity to defects of different origin, productivity and ability to detect defects without direct contact with the surface of the tested object (TO) or even through different coatings without removing them. The method is used to detect service defects in aircraft structure elements, in particular such as fuselage, wings, wheel discs, blades and turbines of aircraft engines, brackets, etc. Eddy current flaw detection using high operational frequencies is applied for contactless detection of shallow surface cracks, in particular those, arising as a result of fatigue. The method has no alternative, when it is necessary to detect cracks in difficult-of-access places, in particular on side walls of rivet holes. The paper presents local self-generator eddy current flaw detectors of LEOTEST family with double-circuit oscillatory system, operating in the mode of intermittent generation. The flaw detectors have passed state trials and have been included into the maintenance regulations for aircraft of SC «Antonov» and aircraft engines of SP «Ivchenko-Progress» and PJSC «Motor-Sich». The paper gives general procedural recommendations and examples of application of flaw detectors for in-service testing of aircraft components and aircraft engine parts. Proposals were submitted as to further improvement of self-generator flaw detectors in order to lower the influence of subjective factors related to the qualifications of flaw detector operator on the reliability of control. Ref. 15, Fig. 11.
Keywords: eddy current flaw detector, self-generator, aircraft structure, engine, sensitivity, conrol reliability, aluminium alloy, titanium alloy

Received: 06.06.2022

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