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Title: Electro-optic voltage sensor for sensing voltage in an E-field

Patent ·
OSTI ID:335476

A miniature electro-optic voltage sensor system capable of accurate operation at high voltages is disclosed. The system employs a transmitter, a sensor disposed adjacent to but out of direct electrical contact with a conductor on which the voltage is to be measured, a detector, and a signal processor. The transmitter produces a beam of electromagnetic radiation which is routed into the sensor where the beam undergoes the Pockels electro-optic effect. The electro-optic effect causes phase shifting in the beam, which is in turn converted to a pair of independent beams, from which the voltage of a system based on its E-field is determined when the two beams are normalized by the signal processor. The sensor converts the beam by splitting the beam in accordance with the axes of the beam`s polarization state (an ellipse whose ellipticity varies between -1 and +1 in proportion to voltage) into at least two AM signals. These AM signals are fed into a signal processor and processed to determine the voltage between a ground conductor and the conductor on which voltage is being measured. 18 figs.

Research Organization:
Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AC07-94ID13223
Assignee:
Lockheed Martin Idaho Technologies Co., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Patent Number(s):
US 5,892,357/A/
Application Number:
PAN: 8-569,338
OSTI ID:
335476
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: 6 Apr 1999
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English