Name: Mingyang Lu
How long have you been at CNDE? I began at CNDE in April 2023.
Area(s) of expertise: Electromagnetic eddy current experiments and computational modeling.
Who or what inspired you to pursue your career in NDE? I had an interest in electromagnetics as an undergraduate (before 2014) electrical and electronic major at the University of Manchester (#27 in QS World University Rankings) in the UK. During the last semester of my undergraduate, I joined a project from the Sensing Imaging and Signal Processing Group for the sensing-based dynamic control of robot carts. I heard one day that the Electromagnetic Sensing Group has actively engaged with industries, sustainably raised substantial funding from the British government, and in partnership with the internationally leading Research Centre for Nondestructive Evaluation (RCNDE) and industries. I came to join the Electromagnetic Sensing group in 2014 and completed my PhD in 2018.
In 2018, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher with the Electromagnetic Sensing Group, collaborating on projects with industry leaders like Frenk Van Den Berg from Tata Steel and Axel Rimnac from Primetals Technologies. Our work aims to address industrial challenges, such as electromagnetic eddy current inspection in Additive Manufacturing (AM): Electromagnetic non-destructive testing for inspecting the microstructure of high-performance ferritic steels and Advanced electromagnetic Sensors for Assessing Property scatter in high-value steels.
Before joining the CNDE, I authored around 60 publications in electromagnetic eddy current sensing and presented at prestigious conferences such as those organized by the British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing (BINDT), the European Federation for Non-Destructive Testing (ECNDT), and IEEE. Now, I feel very honored to be one of the CNDE researchers, and I believe CNDE is one of the best in the world.
Briefly describe one of your technical contributions to the NDE field. One of the technical highlights that comes to my mind is my recent work in the CNDE, under the IAB-funded project targeting a building of high-precision eddy current inspection system. This work pioneered an automatic inspection design, in which a fast and precious dynamic control of sensor scanning coordinates is assured by leveraging the robot arm or linear steppers with instrumentations. This development facilitates the eddy current NDE inspection with an enhanced signal-to-noise ratio and versatile capabilities, especially for the imaging of small defects (less than 20 microns) or detection of subsurface defects underneath coatings.
What advice would you give a researcher just starting out in the NDE field? Focus on deeply understanding core concepts, avoiding rushing into superficial approaches. Allocate ample time for thorough analysis, drawing insights from first principles. Seek supportive work environments like CNDE, fostering collaboration and innovation. Stay updated on the latest advancements through literature, conferences, and networking. Embrace continuous learning for long-term success and impactful contributions to the field.