Abstract: An apparatus for inspecting a metallic post contoured in a single dimension for defects. The apparatus has a clamp having at least one jaw with a surface conforming to the contour to the metallic post. The conforming jaw or jaws also have a plurality of eddy current coils and the probe has at least one sensor configured to sense at least one of position or motion.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for minimizing direct coupling between transmitters and receivers on a downhole logging tool are disclosed. One embodiment includes a transmitter, a bucking device, and a plurality of receivers, where signals may be directly coupled from the transmitter into the receivers and signals may be indirectly coupled from the transmitter into the receivers through the formation and borehole environment. The bucking device minimizes the magnitude of the signals that are directly coupled from the transmitter into multiple receivers within the plurality. By varying the current in the bucking device, the bucking device minimizes the magnitude of the directly coupled signal of each receiver in the plurality, and each receiver may utilize a common bucking device.

Abstract: In some aspects, the present invention provides a method for estimating at least one measurement/object property of a metal object. The method includes generating a time-varying eddy current in a wall of the metal object utilizing a pulsed-signal transmitter. The method further includes measuring the time-varying eddy current, fitting the time-varying measured eddy current to a parameterized polynomial, and interpreting the parameterized polynomial to determine one or more measurement/object properties of the metal object.