A novel modeling of surface breaking defects for eddy current quantitative imaging

A simplified electromagnetic modeling is proposed for the eddy current imaging of surface breaking defects. The model assumes that the interactions between the eddy currents and a defect are equivalent to current sources placed inside the defect. The use of the distributed point source method is thus suitable for implementing the model. An example is provided considering the case of aeronautical fastener holes. The results given by the proposed model are confronted with experimental data obtained with an eddy currents imaging probe as well as with finite elements modeling simulations and good agreement is shown.