Continuous gap measurement
AssigneeEnergy, United States Department of
InventorsJoel A. Johnson, Ronald J. Heaps
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gap measurement device. The device has a circuit having a variable inductor and a capacitor. The variable inductor has an indicator. The device has a gap that includes a gap measurement and a gap length. The gap measurement is related to the inductance. The gap is configured to receive at least a portion of the variable inductor while the variable inductor moves along the gap length. The movement of the variable inductor along the gap length causes the inductance to change in response to the gap measurement.
Claims20
1) A continuous gap measurement device comprising:
- a circuit having a variable inductor and a capacitor, the circuit having an inductance, the variable inductor having an indicator;
- and
- a gap comprising a gap measurement and a gap length, the gap measurement related to the inductance, the gap configured to receive at least a portion of the variable inductor while the variable inductor moves along the gap length, the movement along the gap length causing the inductance to change in response to the gap measurement.
10) A method of measuring a gap, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) inserting at least a portion of a variable inductor into a gap, the variable inductor having an indicator, the variable inductor connected to a capacitor forming an electric circuit having an inductance, the gap having a gap measurement and a gap length, the gap measurement related to the inductance;
- (b) moving the variable inductor along the gap length causing the inductance to change in response to the gap measurement;
- and
- (c) receiving the inductance in a data processing unit whereby the data processing unit produces the gap measurement.
18) A continuous gap measurement system, the system comprising:
- a continuous gap measurement device including
- a circuit having a variable inductor and a capacitor, the circuit having an inductance, the variable inductor having an indicator, a gap comprising a gap measurement and a gap length, the gap measurement related to the inductance, the gap configured to receive at least a portion of the variable inductor while the variable inductor moves along the gap length, the movement along the gap length causing the inductance to change in response to the gap measurement;
- and
- a data processing unit configured to receive the inductance and produce the gap measurement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.