Composite shaft monitoring system
AssigneeSimmonds Precision Products, Inc.
InventorWilliam B. Spillman, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A smart structure comprising a rotatable shaft, and a sensor integrated with the shaft, a resonant detector circuit integrated with the structure for detecting a sensor output, and an external exciter circuit; the detector circuit having first coil means and the exciter circuit having second coil means magnetically coupled to the first coil means when aligned across a gap; and control means exterior the shaft for producing an output that corresponds to the sensor output compensated for the gap.
Claims23
Apparatus for monitoring characteristics of a rotatable member, comprising:
- a sensor integratable with the rotatable member for producing an output related to a characteristic of the member, a sensing circuit integratable with the rotatable member and an interrogation circuit disposed externally the rotatable member;
- said sensing circuit having a sense coil, and said interrogation circuit having an exciter coil magnetically coupled to said sense coil across a gap;
- and control means for determining said sensor output as a function of an exciter coil current with compensation for said gap.
A smart structure comprising a rotatable shaft, and a sensor integrated with the shaft, a resonant detector circuit integrated with the shaft for detecting a sensor output, and an external exciter circuit;
- said detector circuit having first coil means and said exciter circuit having second coil means magnetically coupled to said first coil means when aligned across a gap;
- and control means exterior the shaft for determining said sensor output with condensation for said gap.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.