DISTRIBUTED, MULTIPLEXED FIBER OPTIC CURRENT TRANSDUCER USING OPTICAL POWER DIVISION

• US 20130163915A1
• Filed: 12/23/2011
• Published: 06/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Glen Peter Koste
• Inventors: Lee, Boon Kwee, Koste, Glen Peter, Dekate, Sachin Narahari, Welch, Victor
• Granted Patent: US 8,781,266 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/12
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/001 the light being emitted along at least a portion of the lateral surface of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0038 Linear indentations or grooves, e.g. arc-shaped grooves or meandering grooves, extending over the full length or width of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0046 Tapered light guide, e.g. wedge-shaped light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0078 Side-by-side arrangements, e.g. for large area displays

Abstract

A measurement system includes a broadband light source that outputs a broadband light, an optical splitter that divides the broadband light into a plurality of divided light beams and a plurality of optical sensors, each optical sensor configured to receive a single one of the divided light beams and measure an electrical parameter of a conductor.

Claims

1. A measurement system comprising:

a broadband light source that outputs a broadband light;

an optical splitter that divides the broadband light into a plurality of divided light beams; and

a plurality of optical sensors, each optical sensor configured to receive a single one of the divided light beams and measure an electrical parameter of a conductor.

2. The measurement system according to claim 1, wherein the optical splitter is a light intensity splitter configured to divide the broadband light into a plurality of light beams having a sum of intensities equal to an intensity of the broadband light.

3. The measurement system according to claim 2, wherein the electrical parameter is current.

4. The measurement system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the optical sensors is a fiber optic current transducer.

5. The measurement system according to claim 4, wherein the at least one fiber optic current transducer is coupled to the optical splitter by a fiber optic cable.

6. The measurement system according to claim 1, wherein an optical circulator is disposed between the optical splitter and each of the optical sensors.

7. The measurement system according to claim 1, wherein the broadband light source is one of a super luminescent diode (SLD) and an amplified spontaneous emission (ASE).

8. A measurement system comprising:

a broadband light source that outputs a broadband light;

an optical splitter that divides the broadband light into a plurality of divided light beams based upon wavelength;

a plurality of optical sensors, each optical sensor configured to receive a single one of the divided light beams and measure an electrical parameter of a conductor using the received light beam.

9. The measurement system according to claim 8, wherein the optical splitter comprises an optical circulator and a wavelength filter for each divided light beam.

10. The measurement system according to claim 8, wherein the optical circulators and the wavelength filters are connected in a series configuration.

11. The measurement system according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the plurality of optical sensors is a fiber optic current transducer.

12. The measurement system according to claim 8, wherein each of the optical sensors is connected in a series configuration and a wavelength filter is disposed between each of the optical sensors.

13. The measurement system according to claim 12, further comprising at least one circulator disposed between each of the optical sensors.

14. The measurement system according to claim 8, wherein the optical sensors are fiber optic current transducers (FOCT), a first one of the FOCTs comprising a clockwise wound fiber optic loop and a second one of the FOCTs comprising an anticlockwise wound fiber optic loop.

15. A method of measuring an electrical parameter using an optical sensor comprising:

outputting a broadband light from a single broadband light source;

dividing the broadband light into a plurality of divided light beams based upon a predetermined characteristic of the light;

supplying the divided light beams to a plurality of optical sensors;

passing a conductor through at least one of the optical sensors; and

measuring an electrical parameter of the conductor using the at least one of the optical sensors having the conductor passing therethrough.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined characteristic of light is a wavelength.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined characteristic of light is intensity.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined characteristic of light is time.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the electrical parameter is current.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein at least two phases of current are measured.