Patent ID: 8098065

Claim:
A flexible plate-type magnetostrictive sensor (MsS) probe assembly for inspection of longitudinal cylindrical structures, the MsS probe assembly comprising: a pair of flat flexible cable (FFC) coil assemblies, the FFC coil assemblies each having a top face and a bottom face and comprising a length of flat flexible cable (FFC) having a plurality of parallel conductors, the FFC folded back on itself and connected one end to the other after shifting the plurality of parallel conductors by one, thereby creating a continuous conductor loop coil having first and second electrical connections, the coil assemblies positioned in a diametrically opposing configuration around a circumference of the longitudinal cylindrical structure to provide a single full encirclement of the longitudinal structure; a pair of flexible strips of magnetostrictive material, one of the flexible magnetostrictive strips adhered to the bottom face of each of the FFC coil assemblies between the coil assemblies and the longitudinal cylindrical structure; and a pair of clamp elements positioned in an opposing configuration around the pair of FFC coil assemblies; wherein time varying current in the FFC coil assemblies causes guided-waves to be generated in the magnetostrictive strips, which guided-waves, when the magnetostrictive strips are positioned against the surfaces of the longitudinal cylindrical structure, travel to and are reflected by anomalies in the structure under inspection.