Method and apparatus for measuring electrical conductivity
AssigneeUniversity of Southern Queensland
InventorsNigel Harold Hancock, Andrew Douglas Maxwell, Antonio Louis Ah Fock
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Abstract
An apparatus (2) for measuring electrical conductivity in a material has a pair of electrically conducting elements (6), a first electrical conductor (9) coupled to the electrically conducting elements and coupling a first transformer core (10) and a second transformer core (12) to form a first current loop (8), and a second electrical conductor (17) of known resistance coupling the second transformer core (12) and a third transformer core (14) to form a second current loop (16).
Claims20
An apparatus for measuring electrical conductivity in a material, said apparatus comprising:
- a pair of electrically conducting elements arranged for contacting the material;
- a first electrical conductor coupled to said electrically conducting elements, said first electrical conductor coupling a first transformer core and a second transformer core to form a first current loop;
- and
- a second electrical conductor of known resistance coupling said second transformer core and a third transformer core to form a second current loop.
A method of measuring electrical conductivity in a material, said method including the steps of:
- mounting a pair of electrically conducting elements to be in contact with said material;
- coupling said pair of electrically conducting elements with a first electrical conductor, said first electrical conductor coupling a first transformer core and a second transformer core to form a first current loop;
- coupling said second transformer core and a third transformer core with a second electrical conductor of known resistance to form a second current loop;
- measuring a voltage across said material with said first transformer core;
- monitoring an excitation voltage across said second transformer core by measuring a reference voltage across said third transformer core;
- and
- determining said electrical conductivity of said material from said voltage across said material, said reference voltage and said known resistance.
A method of measuring electrical conductivity in a material, said method including the steps of:
- mounting a pair of electrically conducting elements to be in contact with said material;
- coupling said pair of electrically conducting elements with a first electrical conductor, said first electrical conductor coupling a first transformer core and a second transformer core to form a first current loop;
- coupling said second transformer core and a third transformer core with a second electrical conductor of known resistance to form a second current loop;
- measuring a current through said material via a secondary winding of said first transformer core;
- monitoring an excitation voltage across said second transformer core by measuring a reference current through a secondary winding of said third transformer core;
- and
- determining said electrical conductivity of said material from said current through said material, said reference current and said known resistance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.