Apparatus and method for measuring instantaneous power using a magneto-optic Kerr effect sensor
US5994898A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 10, 1997 |
| Grant date | Nov 30, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 10, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01R33/0325
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An apparatus and method for measuring instantaneous power using a magneto-optic Kerr effect sensor are disclosed. The apparatus comprises and the method requires a magneto-optic Kerr effect magnetic field sensing element and an optical system including a light source, first and second polarizers, and a photoconductive detector. In a preferred embodiment, the sensing element and the optical system are arranged to sense the intensity of a magnetic field generated by current passing through a high voltage power line so as to provide an optical signal that is representative of the current to the photoconductive detector. A voltage signal is tapped off of the high voltage power line to provide a bias signal to the photoconductive detector. The photoconductive detector thereby effectively multiplies the optical current signal with the voltage signal so as to provide a photoconductive detector current signal that is proportional to instantaneous power passing through the high voltage power line.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.