Analysis of Direct Current Potential Difference in a Multiple-Cracked Material

Abstract

The electric field in a conductive material with multiple circular cracks was analyzed by means of crack-flow modification method(CFMM). It was found by the analysis that the increase in potential difference of the cracked material normalized by the potential difference without cracks, ΔV/V₀, was in proportion to the product of the effective volumetric crack density and the mean of cubed crack radius, n_eff[γ³]_m. This universal relationship was also valid for multiple semi-circular cracks distributed on the surface of the material and gave the physical meaning of damage detected by the direct current electrical potential method.