Electro-optic voltage sensor head

Patent · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1999

OSTI ID:872457

Crawford, Thomas M ^[1]; Davidson, James R ^[1]; Woods, Gregory K ^[2]

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1. Idaho Falls, ID
2. Cornelius, OR

The invention is an electro-optic voltage sensor head designed for integration with existing types of high voltage transmission and distribution apparatus. The sensor head contains a transducer, which comprises a transducing material in which the Pockels electro-optic effect is observed. In the practice of the invention at least one beam of electromagnetic radiation is routed into the transducing material of the transducer in the sensor head. The beam undergoes an electro-optic effect in the sensor head when the transducing material is subjected to an E-field. The electro-optic effect is observed as a differential phase a shift, also called differential phase modulation, of the beam components in orthogonal planes of the electromagnetic radiation. In the preferred embodiment the beam is routed through the transducer along an initial axis and then reflected by a retro-reflector back substantially parallel to the initial axis, making a double pass through the transducer for increased measurement sensitivity. The preferred embodiment of the sensor head also includes a polarization state rotator and at least one beam splitter for orienting the beam along major and minor axes and for splitting the beam components into two signals which are independent converse amplitude-modulated signals carrying E-field magnitude and hence voltage information from the sensor head by way of optic fibers.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-94ID13223
• Assignee: Lockheed Martin Idaho Technologies Company (Idaho Falls, ID)
• Patent Number(s): US 5939711
• OSTI ID: 872457
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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amplitude-modulated
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double
e-field
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electro-optic effect
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electromagnetic
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pockels
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polarization
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preferred embodiment
radiation
reflected
retro-reflector
rotator
routed
sensitivity
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shift
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substantially
substantially parallel
transducer
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transmission
types
undergoes
voltage
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voltage transmission