Reconstructing electrical conductivity profiles from variable-frequency eddy current measurements

Abstract A method for reconstructing radially varying conductivity profiles in cylindrical conductors is described. Solenoidal driving and sensing coils surround the cylindrical sample and an AC magnetic field applied by the driving solenoid induces axisymmetric eddy currents in the sample. It is shown how a radially varying conductivity profile can be recovered from measurements of the complex impedance recorded as a function of frequency, where impedance here is defined as the ratio of the induced electromotive force (EMF) in the sensing coil to the current in the driving coil. An iterative nonlinear least-squares algorithm is employed to reconstruct the profiles. Demonstrations of the reconstruction method are presented based on both simulated and experimentally recorded impedance data.