Geo-centers, Inc.

USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

University of Virginia Patent Foundation

Marc D Mermelstein

Sandeep T Vohra

A stress-driven electrostrictive ceramic low-voltage plate voltage sensor based on the principle of the field-coupling between the strain and polarization in the ceramic material of the device. Application of a dithering or driving voltage to a piezoelectric tube thereby generating an oscillating polarization whose amplitude is proportional to an applied low-frequency voltage. A electrostrictive ceramic wafer material affixed to the piezoelectric tube senses this oscillation and generates a displacement current. The displacement current represents a voltage output that is an amplitude modulated carrier whose displaced amplitude is proportional to an applied unknown signal voltage sought to be determined.

Low-frequency electrostrictive ceramic plate voltage sensor

A system for determining the angular velocity of a mobile target relative to a station. The system develops first and second reference beams and a beam to the target to enable the target to generate first and second signals. Optical devices, preferably fiberoptical devices, responsive to the first and second reference beams and to the first and second signals respectively received from the target at discrete first and second positions on the station, respectively produce first and second interference pattern signals. Each of said received signals has a Doppler shift as a function of the movement of the target. An electrical processing circuit then processes the interference pattern signals to develop a signal indicative of the target's angular velocity.

Heterodyne array for measurement of target velocity

A single magnetostrictive amorphous metal sensor element is mounted on a piezoelectric resonator plate with an intervening layer of a viscous fluid, an oscillator stresses and vibrates the plate at a resonant frequency, creating a standing wave in the sensor element which is a metallic glass ribbon. Electromotive forces are generated in first and second pickup coils mounted at symmetrically spaced positions about the ribbon centerline. The electromotive force generated by each pickup coil is demodulated by a lock-in amplifier with a signal supplied by the oscillator. The demodulated outputs are amplified so as to balance the sensitivities. Outputs of amplifiers are provided to a differential amplifier which produces the gradiometer output indicative of magnetic field gradient.

Magnetolelastic amorphous metal ribbon gradiometer

A highly-sensitive, physically small and rugged magnetometer employs a magnetostrictive amorphous metal ribbon core. A piezoelectric driver induces stress variations in the ribbon of a magnitude determined by an external magnetic field. The amplitude of the variations in magnetization is sensed by a pick-up winding disposed around the ribbon core. The dynamic range of the device is improved by employing a nulling field winding around the core to continuously null out the magnetization of the core. In contrast to the non-linear characteristic of the conventional fluxgate magnetometer, the invention provides a linear response to magnetic field strength which simplifies the processing circuitry. In addition, the ribbon may be field-annealed to improve the sensitivity of the device. Still further, low-frequency stresses in the ribbon (due to thermal expansion and the like) are relieved with a viscous fluid interface between the ribbon and support to thereby reduce low-frequency noise in the output signal and drifts in the calibration.

Stress-relieved amorphous metal ribbon magnetometer having viscous fluid

A highly sensitive magnetometer employs a magnetostrictive amorphous metal core in which a piezoelectric driver induces stress variations. In the presence of an external magnetic field, the magnetization of the magnetostrictive core varies in relation to the induced stress. The amplitude of the variations in magnetization is proportional to the strength of the external field and is sensed by a pick-up winding disposed around the magnetostrictive core. The dynamic range of the device is improved by employing a bucking field winding around the core to null out the magnetization of the core. In contrast to the inherent non-linear characteristic of the conventional fluxgate magnetometer, the invention inherently provides a linear response to magnetic field strength.

Magnetometer with magnetostrictive member of stress variable magnetic

A magnetic field sensing transducer which converts magnetic field intensity into a magnetostrictive strain and transfers that strain to an optical fiber employs a thin wall, hollow, cylindrical shell around which is wound a ribbon of an amorphous metallic magnetostrictive material. In another embodiment, the entire shell is formed by turns of the ribbon of magnetostrictive material. The optical fiber is coiled around the magnetostrictive cylinder formed by the wound ribbon and at both its ends, the optical fiber is affixed to the shell. The shell is covered at both its ends by caps and forms a thin wall resonator having three normal axisymmetric modes of vibration. The torsional vibratory mode is here of no interest because it does not appreciably couple to the optical fiber. Any one of the other two axisymmetric modes of vibration can be made dominant by selection of the appropriate length to radius ratio of the cylindrical shell. That property enables the transducer to be tuned to maximize its response to the applied dither field. The transducer is supported by a rod that extends centrally from the end caps. Strains induced by a magnetic field cause a modification in the phase of the light propagating through the optical fiber.

Fiber optic magnetic field sensing transducer having a resonant structure

A signal processor is arranged to process polarized light signals obtained from a stress sensor of the type having a photoelastic element that responds to stress by causing a phase difference between components of the polarized light propagating through that element. The stress sensor provides two output beams, each of which has a different polarized component of the transmitted light. The signal processor employs a pair of photodetectors which respond to the intensities of the two polarized light beams by converting the polarized light into electrical signals. Those two electrical signals provide the inputs to a difference differentiator that provides an output proportional to the difference between the derivatives of the inputs. The two electrical output signals of the photodetectors are also applied as inputs to a multiplier whose output is related to the product of its inputs. The square root of the output of the multiplier is obtained from a square root device and is used as the divisor in a divider whose numerator is the output of the difference differentiator. The output of the divider is applied to the input of an integrator whose output is a measure of the stress imposed on the photoelastic element.

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Chevy Chase, MD, United States of America

Marc D Mermelstein