System for improving measurement accuracy of transducer by measuring transducer temperature and resistance change using thermoelectric voltages

• US 5,481,199 A
• Filed: 09/24/1993
• Issued: 01/02/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Administrator of The National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• Original Assignee: Administrator of The National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• Inventors: Anderson, Karl F., Parker, Allen R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wieder, Kenneth A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOWSER, BARRY
• Application Number:
  US08/125,888
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 324/601, 324/705, 324/713, 324/130, 73/720, 73/726, 73/862.627, 73/862.628, 73/862.68, 73/862.045, 338/2-3, 374/183
• US Class Current: 324/705
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 3/036 on measuring arrangements themselves
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/2281 for temperature variations

Abstract

A constant current loop measuring system measures a property including the temperature of a sensor responsive to an external condition being measured. The measuring system includes thermocouple conductors connected to the sensor, sensing first and second induced voltages responsive to the external condition. In addition, the measuring system includes a current generator and reversor generating a constant current, and supplying the constant current to the thermocouple conductors in forward and reverse directions generating first and second measured voltages, and a determining unit receiving the first and second measured voltages from the current generator and reversor, and determining the temperature of the sensor responsive to the first and second measured voltages.

Claims

1. A constant current loop measuring system measuring a property including a temperature of a sensor responsive to an external condition being measured, comprising:

thermocouple conductors connected to the sensor, sensing first and second induced voltages responsive to the external condition;

current generating and reversing means for generating a constant current, and for supplying said constant current to said thermocouple conductors in forward and reverse directions generating first and second measured voltages, each of said first and second measured voltages including said first and second induced voltages; and

determining means for receiving said first and second measured voltages from said current generating and reversing means, and for determining the temperature of the sensor responsive to said first and second measured voltages.

2. A constant current loop measuring system according to claim 1, wherein said determining means determines another property of the sensor responsive to said first and second measured voltages.

3. A constant current loop measuring system according to claim 2, wherein the another property of the sensor is a resistance change of the sensor responsive to the external condition being measured.

4. A constant current loop measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a strain gauge.

5. A constant current loop measuring system according to claim 1,

wherein the sensor includes a resistance having a constant resistance and a variable resistance varying in response to the external condition, and said thermocouple conductors include parasitic resistance, and

wherein the constant current loop measuring system further comprises calibration means for calibrating the constant current loop measuring system responsive to said variable resistance and independent of said parasitic and constant resistances.

6. A constant current loop measuring system according to claim 1,

wherein said thermocouple conductors include parasitic resistance and the resistance of the sensor includes a constant resistance, and

wherein said constant current loop measuring system measures the temperature of the sensor independent of said parasitic and constant resistances.

7. A constant current loop measuring system according to claim 1, wherein said constant current loop measuring system measures the temperature of the sensor responsive to:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">V.sub.a -V.sub.b =2 (V.sub.1a +V.sub.1b),

where V_1a and V_1b are said first and second induced voltages and V_a and V_b are said first and second measured voltages.

8. A constant current loop measuring system according to claim 3, wherein said constant current loop measuring system measures said resistance change of the sensor according to:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">V.sub.a +V.sub.b -V.sub.ref =2 I(.increment.R),

where V_ref is a reference voltage of the constant current loop measuring system, I is said constant current, .increment.R is said resistance change and V_a and V_b are said first and second measured voltages.

9. A constant current loop measuring system according to claim 1, wherein said determining means includes addition means for adding said first and second measured voltages and subtraction means for subtracting said reference voltage to determine the resistance change of the sensor.

10. A constant current loop measuring system according to claim 1, wherein said determining means includes subtraction means for subtracting said first and second measured voltages to determine the temperature of the sensor.

11. A constant current loop measuring system, comprising:

a sensor experiencing a temperature and a resistance change responsive to an external condition being measured;

thermocouple conductors connected to said sensor, sensing first and second induced voltages responsive to the external condition;

current generating and reversing means for generating a constant current, and for supplying said constant current to said thermocouple conductors in forward and reverse directions generating first and second measured voltages, each of said first and second measured voltages including said first and second induced voltages; and

determining means for receiving said first and second measured voltages from said current generating and reversing means, and for determining said temperature and said resistance change of said sensor responsive to said first and second measured voltages.

12. A constant current loop measuring system according to claim 11, wherein said sensor comprises a strain gauge.

13. A constant current loop measuring system according to claim 11,

wherein said sensor includes a resistance having a constant resistance and a variable resistance varying in response to said external condition, and said thermocouple conductors include parasitic resistance, and

wherein the constant current loop measuring system further comprises calibration means for calibrating the constant current loop measuring system responsive to said variable resistance and independent of said parasitic and constant resistances.

14. A constant current loop measuring system according to claim 11,

wherein said thermocouple conductors include parasitic resistance and said sensor includes a constant resistance, and

wherein said constant current loop measuring system measures said temperature and said resistance charge of said sensor independent of said parasitic and constant resistances.

15. A constant current loop measuring system according to claim 11, wherein said constant current loop measuring system measures said temperature of said sensor responsive to:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">V.sub.a -V.sub.b =2 (V.sub.1a +V.sub.1b),

where V_1a and V_1b are said first and second induced voltages and V_a and V_b are said first and second measured voltages.

16. A constant current loop measuring system according to claim 11, wherein said constant current loop measuring system measures said resistance change of said sensor according to:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">V.sub.a +V.sub.b -V.sub.ref =2 I(.increment.R),

where V_ref is a reference voltage of the constant current loop measuring system, I is said constant current, .increment.R is said resistance change and V_a and V_b are said first and second measured voltages.

17. A constant current loop measuring system according to claim 11, wherein said determining means includes addition/subtraction means for subtracting said first and second measured voltages to determine said temperature of said sensor and for adding said first and second measured voltages and subtracting a reference voltage to determine said resistance change of said sensor.

18. A method for measuring a property including a temperature of a sensor responsive to an external condition being measured using a constant current loop measuring system, comprising the steps of:

(a) sensing first and second induced voltages responsive to the external condition using thermocouple conductors;

(b) generating and supplying a constant current to the thermocouple conductors in forward and reverse directions generating first and second measured voltages, each of the first and second measured voltages including the first and second induced voltages sensed in said sensing step (a); and

(c) determining the temperature of the sensor responsive to the first and second measured voltages generated in said generating step (b).

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein said determining step (c) further includes the step of determining another property of the sensor responsive to the first and second measured voltages.

20. A method according to claim 18, wherein said determining step (c) further includes the step of determining a resistance change of the sensor responsive to the external condition being measured using the first and second measured voltages and a reference voltage developed from said constant current.

21. A method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of calibrating the constant current loop measuring system responsive to a variable resistance of the sensor and independent of a parasitic resistance of the thermocouple conductors and a constant resistance of the sensor.

22. A method according to claim 18, wherein said determining step (c) determines the temperature of the sensor independent of a parasitic resistance of the thermocouple conductors and a constant resistance of the sensor.

23. A method according to claim 18, wherein said determining step (c) determines the temperature of the sensor responsive to:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">V.sub.a -V.sub.b =2(V.sub.1a +V.sub.1b),

where V_1a and v_1b are the first and second induced voltages and V_a and V_b are the first and second measured voltages.

24. A method according to claim 20, wherein said determining step (c) determines the resistance change of the sensor according to:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">V.sub.a +V.sub.b -V.sub.ref =2I(.increment.R),

where V_ref is a reference voltage of the constant current loop measuring system, I is the constant current, .increment.R is the resistance change and V_a and V_b are the first and second measured voltages.

25. A method according to claim 18, wherein said determining step (c) further comprises the step of adding the first and second measured voltages to determine the temperature of the sensor.

26. A method for measuring a property including a temperature and a resistance change of a sensor responsive to an external condition being measured using a constant current loop measuring system, comprising the steps off:

(a) introducing the external condition to the sensor;

(b) sensing first and second induced voltages responsive to the external condition using thermocouple conductors;

(c) generating and supplying a constant current to the thermocouple conductors in forward and reverse directions generating first and second measured voltages, each of the first and second measured voltages including the first and second induced voltages sensed in said sensing step (b); and

(d) determining the temperature and the resistance change of the sensor responsive to the first and second measured voltages generated in said generating step (c).

27. A method according to claim 26, further comprising the step of calibrating the constant current loop measuring system responsive to a variable resistance of the sensor and independent of a parasitic resistance of the thermocouple conductors and a constant resistance of the sensor.

28. A method according to claim 26, wherein said determining step (c) determines the temperature and the resistance change of the sensor independent of a parasitic resistance of the thermocouple conductors and a constant resistance of the sensor.

29. A method according to claim 26,

wherein said determining step (d) determines the temperature of the sensor responsive to:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">V.sub.a -V.sub.b =2(V.sub.1a +V.sub.1b), and

wherein said determining step (d) determines the resistance change of the sensor according to;

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">V.sub.a +V.sub.b -V.sub.ref =2 I(.increment.R),

where I is the constant current of the constant current measuring system, V_ref is a reference voltage developed by the constant current, .increment.R is the resistance change, V_1a and V_1b are the first and second induced voltages and V_a and V_b are the first and second measured voltages.

30. A method according to claim 26, wherein said determining step (d) further comprises the step of subtracting the first and second measured voltages to determine the temperature of the sensor and adding the first and second measured voltages and subtracting a reference voltage to determine the resistance change of the sensor.