Development of New Method of Non-destructive Testing of Electrical Cables
The paper describes a new method of non-destructive testing of parameters of electrical cables and wires, which can be used to find and localize defects in electric conductors as well as to determine certain parameters of the discovered defect. In order to implement the suggested method, the quantum-mechanical characteristic of electrons is used, which consists in polarization of spin magnetic moments of mobile electrons in current-conducting materials under the influence of an external alternating electric field. The specified field can be formed by a cylindrical capacitor consisting of two semicylindrical metal electrodes located coaxially to the controlled cable. The region of circulation of spin magnetic moments acting as a harmonic oscillator by means of spin-spin interaction excites a progressive polarization wave of spin magnetic moments in the conductive wire and this wave interacting with the coil of the induction transmitter generates a control signal in the form of alternating electromotive force on the coil ends. Parameters of this electromotive force (amplitude and phase) contain information both about the dimensional characteristics of the current conducting wires and about the physical and chemical properties of the material they are made from. The non-destructive testing is carried out by means of comparison of the control signal with the reference one. The process of the reference signal formation depending on the purposes of the testing is shown in the paper. The suggested method can be used to control the cables and wires made from any electrically-conductive paramagnetic and diamagnetic materials.