volume | PIER Journals

Abstract

Microwave non-destructive testing (NDT), with its high sensitivity and non-contact advantages, is widely applied in the defect detection of non-metallic composite materials. However, conventional microwave NDT requires frequent mechanical repositioning to modify the detection area, significantly reducing the detection efficiency. To address this limitation,this paper proposes a reconfigurable spiral defect-ground structure (DGS)-based defect scanning sensor. The sensor incorporates multiple spiral DGS units and connects them in parallel with PIN diodes. By electronically switching the state of the diodes, the location of the electric field concentration is altered, thereby controlling the sensitive detection area without mechanical movement. Compared to the existing complementary split-ring resonator (CSRR) sensors, which have a unit detection area of 3 mm × 3 mm, the proposed sensor achieves an enhanced unit detection area of 15.5 mm × 11 mm. Additionally, relying on the unique structural characteristics of the spiral shape, the field distribution is more uniform, effectively reducing blind spots in detection. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed reconfigurable spiral DGS-based defect scanning sensor can effectively detect defects in non-metallic composite materials.

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Mr. Zhi Chen