REMOTE FIELD TESTING
Outline
• Principle
• Characteristics
• Operation
• Applications
• Advantages
• Disadvantages
RFT Principle
Remote field testing is an electromagnetic technique that
utilizes AC excitation to generate AC magnetic lines of flux.
A through wall transmission which is detected 2-3 tube
diameters away by inducing a voltage into passive sensors.
Without magnetization or saturation.
RFT probes contain two types of coils used commonly in a
single or dual arrangement.
One coil is the exciter coil, which transmits an
electromagnetic field through the tube wall and the
receiver coil which senses the field as it comes back in
through the wall.
RFT Theory of Operation
A probe consisting of an exciter coil and one or more
detectors is pulled through the tube.
The exciter coil and the detector coil(s) are rigidly
fixed at an axial distance of two tube diameters or
more between them.
The exciter coil is driven with a relatively low
frequency sinusoidal current to produce a magnetic
field.
This changing magnetic field induces strong
circumferential eddy currents which extend axially, as
well as radially in the tube wall.
These eddy currents, in turn, produce their own
magnetic field, which opposes the magnetic field
from the exciter coil.
However, since the eddy current field is more spread
out than the exciter field, the magnetic field from the
eddy currents extends farther along the tube axis.
The interaction between the two fields is fairly
complex but the simple fact is that the exciter field is
dominant near the exciter coil and the eddy current
field becomes dominant at some distance away from
the exciter coil.
RFT Probe:
Characteristics of RFT
This technique can be used for ferromagnetic pipes and tubes
such as those found in heat exchangers and boilers
It will easily examines very thick tube wall up to 12mm
Its pulling speed between 0.10 & 0.3 m/sec.
RFT with frequencies ranging from 20 Hz to 250 kHz.
Applications
The RFT technique is mainly used for ferromagnetic tube such as
carbon steel, nickel, and ferritic stainless steel.
The technique is fast compare to IRIS but slower than MFL and ET.
Since the fill factor is not as important as for ECT and MFL, the
tubes do not required important cleaning, only enough to pass the
probe in the tube.
This technique only measure the total thickness of material.
Applications of RFT
•Ferrous tubing
• Carbon steel
• Nickel
• Ferritic stainless steel
•Main RFT applications
• Heat Exchanger
• Feed water heater
• Boiler
• Industries
• Refinery
• Petrochemical plant
• Pulp and paper mill
Advantages
Applies to any ferrous material.
Tubes require little cleaning prior to inspection
Inspect tubes with low fill factor and still maintain good sensitivity
Capable of testing heavy wall tube(up to 0.18 inch.)
Capable of inspecting up to 3 inch diameter tubes.
Detect the gradual wall loss, erosion, corrosion.
Disadvantages
Limited detection and sizing of
small defects
Cannot distinguish between ID or
OD defect orientation
Permeability and geometry will
effect sensitivity to small defects
and sizing
