The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 04, 1997
Filed:
Dec. 15, 1995
Jerald F Lowry, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Northrop Grumman Corporation, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Abstract
A quench detector for determining a conductive state in an energized superconductor, including a thermoluminescent quenching sensor in thermal contact with the superconductor and producing a quenching signal corresponding to the conductive state; and a signal processor connected to the quenching sensor, the signal processor determining the conductive state, responsive to the quenching signal. Also a method for detecting a conductive state in an energized superconductor includes detecting a luminescence signal from a thermoluminescent sensor in intimate thermal contact with, and responsive to, a temperature of the energized superconductor; comparing the luminescence signal to a threshold to determine the existence of the conductive state; and responding to the conductive state with a predetermined response. The method can include activating the thermoluminescent sensor by irradiating the sensor. The conductive states include the superconductive state, the local coil quench state, the propagating normal conductive state, the growing normal conductive state, and the global quench state.