MANUAL PROBE CARRIAGE SYSTEM AND METHOD OF USING THE SAME

• US 20050093536A1
• Filed: 01/18/2005
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Kim, Dongwook, Lee, Sang Bin, Mall, Waheed Tony
• Granted Patent: US 7,208,971 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/207.11
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/83 by investigating stray magnetic fields
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/0408 Test fixtures or contact fields; Connectors or connecting adaptors; Test clips; Test sockets G01R1/067 takes precedence; mass production testing systems G01R31/59; testing of connections G01R31/66; for testing printed circuit boards G01R31/2808
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/067 Measuring probes
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/34 Testing dynamo-electric machines

Abstract

A probe support carriage for use during probing an electrical device includes a body, means for supporting and positioning the body, a plurality of flux sensors and a position sensor. The body has a first end and a second end. The plurality of flux sensors are operatively connected to the body. Each flux sensor includes a probe having a core and a coil. The core includes a material having high initial permeability and high resistivity characteristics. The probe is adapted to being supported so that a sensing portion of the core is maintained in a contact-free spaced relationship between a predetermined surface of the electrical device and the sensing portion of the core. The position sensor is adapted to determine position along a longitudinal axis of the electrical device.

Claims

1. A probe support carriage for use during probing an electrical device, comprising:

a body having a first end and a second end;

means for supporting and positioning said body;

a plurality of flux sensors operatively connected to said body, each flux sensor of said plurality of flux sensors comprising a probe having a core of a material having high initial permeability and high resistivity characteristics, and a coil disposed with said core, said probe adapted to being supported so that a sensing portion of said core is maintained in a contact-free spaced relationship between a predetermined surface of the electrical device and said sensing portion of said core; and

a position sensor adapted to determine position along a longitudinal axis of the electrical device.

2. The probe support carriage of claim 1, wherein said each flux sensor is moved through the electrical device to scan the electrical device for a fault which produces a change in a leakage flux.

3. The probe support carriage of claim 1, wherein one of said plurality of flux sensors is disposed at said first end of said body and another of said plurality of flux sensors is disposed at said second end of said body allowing an entirety of said predetermined surface of the electrical device to be scanned without flipping the probe support carriage.

4. The probe support carriage of claim 1, wherein said each flux sensor is receptive to a vertical adjustment to position said each flux sensor at a predetermined distance from said predetermined surface of the electrical device.

5. The probe support carriage of claim 1, wherein said core in said each flux sensor comprises an iron core.

6. The probe support carriage of claim 5, wherein said iron core varies in length from about 1 cm to about 7.6 cm based on a characteristic of the electrical device.

7. The probe support carriage of claim 1, wherein said predetermined surface comprises opposed surfaces of the electrical device, said leakage flux passes between said opposed surfaces and through an air gap defined between said opposed surfaces and said sensing portion of said core.

8. The probe support carriage of claim 1, wherein said means for supporting and positioning said body comprises wheels.

9. The probe support carriage of claim 8, wherein said wheels are disposed near a bottom portion of said body and said wheels comprise at least a wheel disposed on each side of a longitudinal centerline of said body.

10. The probe support carriage of claim 9, wherein a width between said wheels is adjustable.

11. The probe support carriage of claim 10, wherein said width between said wheels is selected to span a distance between said opposed surfaces.

12. The probe support carriage of claim 10, wherein an axle of said wheels is in mechanical communication with a guidance plate, said guidance plate is disposed in communication with at least one of inboard sidewalls of said predetermined surface and outboard sidewalls of said predetermined surface to prevent tilting of said body.

13. The probe support carriage of claim 1, wherein said position sensor comprises an inductive sensor.

14. The probe support carriage of claim 13, wherein said inductive sensor is an eddy current type sensor adapted to distinguishing air from metal, said inductive sensor is able to sense a ventilation space of said predetermined surface.

15. The probe support carriage of claim 14, wherein said inductive sensor counts a plurality of ventilation spaces to determine position along said axis of the electrical device.

16. The probe support carriage of claim 1, wherein said body includes a light assembly adapted to indicate a status of said each flux sensor.

17. A method of detecting an electrical fault in an electrical device comprising:

supporting a plurality of probes on a trolley, each probe of said plurality of probes having a solid core and a coil disposed with said solid core;

maintaining a sensing portion of said solid core in a contact-free, spaced relationship between opposed surfaces of members of the electrical device and through which a leakage flux passes;

inducing energization of the electrical device to a predetermined level which is lower than a normal operating level and thus produce said leakage flux;

detecting said leakage flux using said each probe at a first position;

moving said trolley to a second position with respect to said opposed surfaces and detecting said leakage flux at said second position;

monitoring a fluctuation in output of said each probe and detecting the fault in response to an abnormal leakage flux; and

determining an axial position of said trolley within the electrical device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

disposing a first probe of said plurality of probes at a first end of said trolley; and

disposing a second probe of said plurality of probes at a second end of said trolley.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said determining said axial position further comprises:

sensing a difference between a metal surface and a ventilation space on said opposed surfaces of the electrical device; and

counting a number of a plurality of said ventilation spaces.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein said inducing energization of the electrical device comprises inducing energization of less than about 4% of said normal operating level.