Pole to pole surge test for wound products
AssigneeFisher Data Products, Inc.
InventorJames Allan Fisher
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A testing surge tests all of the individual coils within a coil assembly or multi-coil winding simultaneously. A pickup device is positioned adjacent each of the coils being tested. A voltage pulse is applied across the multi-coil winding. Each of the pickup devices generates a signal having a waveform representative of the magnetic field generated by the coil adjacent thereto in response to the voltage pulse. These signals are compared to each other to identify insulation defects, winding defects and polarity problems within the coils.
Claims21
A method of surge testing a coil assembly comprising a plurality of coils connected in series between a first end of said coil assembly and a second end of said coil assembly, said plurality of coils being inaccessible except via said first and second ends and said method comprises the steps of:
- applying a voltage pulse across said first and second ends of said coil assembly;
- monitoring at least one pickup device positioned generally adjacent to one of said plurality of coils by performing the steps of:
- monitoring a first pickup device positioned generally adjacent to a first coil of said plurality of coils, said first pickup device generating a first signal having a waveform representative of a magnetic field generated by said first coil in response to said voltage pulse;
- monitoring a second pickup device positioned generally adjacent to a second coil of said plurality of coils, said second pickup device generating a second signal having a waveform representative of a magnetic field generated by said second coil in response to said voltage pulse;
- and
- evaluating said first coil and said second coil by comparing said first signal with said second signal.
An apparatus for surge testing a coil assembly comprising a plurality of coils connected in series between a first end of said coil assembly and a second end of said coil assembly, said plurality of coils being inaccessible except via said first and second ends, said apparatus comprising:
- a capacitor having first and second terminals, said first terminal of said capacitor being connectable to said first end of said coil assembly;
- a charging circuit coupled to said capacitor for charging said capacitor;
- a switching circuit having first and second terminals, said first terminal of said switching circuit being coupled to said second terminal of said capacitor, and a second terminal being coupled to said second end of said coil assembly, a voltage pulse from said capacitor being applied across said coil assembly upon activation of said switching circuit;
- a plurality of pickup devices, each of said pickup devices positioned generally adjacent to respective ones of said plurality of coils and generating a signal having a waveform representative of a magnetic field generated by said respective one of said plurality of coils in response to said voltage pulse;
- and
- a processor programmed to control said charging circuit and said switching circuit, said processor receiving said signals from each of said plurality of pickup devices and further programmed to analyze said signals to evaluate each of respective ones of said plurality of coils by comparing said signal from each of said plurality of pickup devices with at least one other of said signals from said plurality of pickup devices.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.