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:
Mar. 26, 2002
Filed:
Aug. 31, 1999
James R. Davidson, Idaho Falls, ID (US);
Thomas M. Crawford, Idaho Falls, ID (US);
Gary D. Seifert, Idaho Falls, ID (US);
Bechtel BWXT Idaho LLC, Idaho Falls, ID (US);
Abstract
A miniature electro-optic voltage sensor and system capable of accurate operation at high voltages has a sensor body disposed in an E-field. The body receives a source beam of electromagnetic radiation. A polarization beam displacer separates the source light beam into two beams with orthogonal linear polarizations. A wave plate rotates the linear polarization to rotated polarization. A transducer utilizes Pockels electro-optic effect and induces a differential phase shift on the major and minor axes of the rotated polarization in response to the E-field. A prism redirects the beam back through the transducer, wave plate, and polarization beam displacer. The prism also converts the rotated polarization to circular or elliptical polarization. The wave plate rotates the major and minor axes of the circular or elliptical polarization to linear polarization. The polarization beam displacer separates the beam into two beams of orthogonal linear polarization representing the major and minor axes. The system may have a transmitter for producing the beam of electro-magnetic radiation; a detector for converting the two beams into electrical signals; and a signal processor for determining the voltage.