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Title: Electro-optic voltage sensor with Multiple Beam Splitting

Abstract

A miniature electro-optic voltage sensor system capable of accurate operation at high voltages without use of the dedicated voltage dividing hardware. The invention achieves voltage measurement without significant error contributions from neighboring conductors or environmental perturbations. The invention employs a transmitter, a sensor, a detector, and a signal processor. The transmitter produces a beam of electromagnetic radiation which is routed into the sensor. Within the sensor the beam undergoes the Pockels electro-optic effect. The electro-optic effect produces a modulation of the beam's polarization, which is in turn converted to a pair of independent conversely-amplitude-modulated signals, from which the voltage of the E-field is determined by the signal processor. The use of converse AM signals enables the signal processor to better distinguish signal from noise. The sensor converts the beam by splitting the beam in accordance with the axes of the beam's polarization state (an ellipse) 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.

Inventors:
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [2]
  1. Cornelius, OR
  2. Idaho Falls, ID
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
873267
Patent Number(s):
6124706
Assignee:
Bechtel BWXT Idaho, LLC (Idaho Falls, ID)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01R - MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES
DOE Contract Number:  
AC07-94ID13223
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
electro-optic; voltage; sensor; multiple; beam; splitting; miniature; capable; accurate; operation; voltages; dedicated; dividing; hardware; achieves; measurement; significant; error; contributions; neighboring; conductors; environmental; perturbations; employs; transmitter; detector; signal; processor; produces; electromagnetic; radiation; routed; undergoes; pockels; effect; modulation; polarization; converted; pair; independent; conversely-amplitude-modulated; signals; e-field; determined; converse; enables; distinguish; noise; converts; accordance; axes; ellipse; fed; processed; determine; ground; conductor; measured; beam splitting; electro-optic voltage; voltage measurement; voltage sensor; modulated signal; signal processor; electromagnetic radiation; electro-optic effect; sensor converts; rate operation; transmitter produces; accurate operation; miniature electro-optic; beam undergoes; pockels electro-optic; signal process; ground conductor; voltage dividing; multiple beam; optic voltage; /324/

Citation Formats

Woods, Gregory K, Renak, Todd W, Crawford, Thomas M, and Davidson, James R. Electro-optic voltage sensor with Multiple Beam Splitting. United States: N. p., 2000. Web.
Woods, Gregory K, Renak, Todd W, Crawford, Thomas M, & Davidson, James R. Electro-optic voltage sensor with Multiple Beam Splitting. United States.
Woods, Gregory K, Renak, Todd W, Crawford, Thomas M, and Davidson, James R. Sat . "Electro-optic voltage sensor with Multiple Beam Splitting". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/873267.
@article{osti_873267,
title = {Electro-optic voltage sensor with Multiple Beam Splitting},
author = {Woods, Gregory K and Renak, Todd W and Crawford, Thomas M and Davidson, James R},
abstractNote = {A miniature electro-optic voltage sensor system capable of accurate operation at high voltages without use of the dedicated voltage dividing hardware. The invention achieves voltage measurement without significant error contributions from neighboring conductors or environmental perturbations. The invention employs a transmitter, a sensor, a detector, and a signal processor. The transmitter produces a beam of electromagnetic radiation which is routed into the sensor. Within the sensor the beam undergoes the Pockels electro-optic effect. The electro-optic effect produces a modulation of the beam's polarization, which is in turn converted to a pair of independent conversely-amplitude-modulated signals, from which the voltage of the E-field is determined by the signal processor. The use of converse AM signals enables the signal processor to better distinguish signal from noise. The sensor converts the beam by splitting the beam in accordance with the axes of the beam's polarization state (an ellipse) 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.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2000},
month = {Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2000}
}

Works referenced in this record:

Modifications of optical fiber voltage sensor
conference, January 1990