Fiber-optic current sensor
US7075286B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 4, 2001 |
| Grant date | Jul 11, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 4, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01R15/247
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An optical current sensor having a reflection interferometer (1, 10) has, in its fiber-optic lead (2), a polarization-maintaining first fiber branch (20) for two forward-traveling orthogonally polarized waves and a polarization-maintaining second fiber branch (20′) for two backward-traveling orthogonally polarized waves. In this case, the two fiber branches (20, 20′) are connected to one another via a coupler (8) on the sensor side. The first fiber branch (20) is connected to a light source (4) and the second fiber branch (20′) is connected to the detector (5). A means for phase shifting (7) is funcionally connected to at least one of the fiber branches (20, 20′). It is thus possible to achieve a quasi-static control of the phase shift of the waves, so that less stringent requirements can be made of the means for phase shifting than of the phase modulators that are usually used in current sensors of this type.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.