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US 5,635,831 AGranted
Optical voltage and electric field sensor based on the pockels effect
AssigneeImatran Voima Oy
InventorMarja Englund
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Abstract
An optical voltage/electric field sensor includes a crystal having a refractive index distribution which depends on an electric field applied thereto, wires for leading the electric field onto the surface of the crystal, a detector to detect changes in the refractive index distribution, and a transparent material having a low extinction coefficient and dielectric constant surrounding the crystal. Such a sensor is particularly useful for measuring the voltage of high frequency dryers.
Claims15
An optical voltage and electric field sensor based on the pockels effect comprising:
- a crystal having a refractive index distribution which is altered when an electric field is applied to said crystal;
- means for applying an electric field to said crystal;
- a detector detecting changes in said refractive index distribution of said crystal;
- and
- a transparent material having an extinction coefficient and a dielectric constant which are less than an extinction coefficient and dielectric constant of said crystal, said transparent material surrounding said crystal including regions outside of an optical path through said crystal.
2 more elements
A method of sensing voltages and electric fields comprising:
- surrounding a crystal, including regions outside of an optical path through said crystal, having a refractive index distribution which is altered when an electric field is applied with a transparent material having an extinction coefficient and a dielectric constant which are respectively less than an extinction coefficient and a dielectric or constant of said crystal;
- applying an electric field to be measured to said crystal;
- delivering light to said crystal;
- and
- determining the electric field applied to said crystal from said light output from said crystal.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.