Phase magnitude signal detector
First Claim
1. A magnetostrictive stress sensing system comprisingmeans for generating an input signal,a one of a solenoidal, single core, and cross design magnetostrictive sensor, said magnetostrictive sensor including an excitation means wherein said excitation means generates an alternating magnetic flux in a stress carrying element and wherein said alternating magnetic flux is dependent on the input signal, said one magnetostrictive sensor further includinga detection means for detecting changes in magnetic flux resulting from load induced stress variation in the stress carrying element, said detection means producingan output signal dependent on the changes in magnetic flux detected by the detection means, anda phase related means for detecting a phase related component of the output signal relative to the input signal so as to detect variations in stress in the stress carrying element.
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Abstract
A magnetostrictive stress and torque sensor using the component of the output signal in-phase with the drive voltage to monitor stress or torque. In some embodiments, it may use the quadrature or out-of-phase component, or some combination of the in-phase and out-of-phase components. Such phase component monitoring has several advantages over magnitude detection, including a response which is a more linear function of torque, and which is not subject to overmodulation problems.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. A magnetostrictive stress sensing system comprising
means for generating an input signal, a one of a solenoidal, single core, and cross design magnetostrictive sensor, said magnetostrictive sensor including an excitation means wherein said excitation means generates an alternating magnetic flux in a stress carrying element and wherein said alternating magnetic flux is dependent on the input signal, said one magnetostrictive sensor further including a detection means for detecting changes in magnetic flux resulting from load induced stress variation in the stress carrying element, said detection means producing an output signal dependent on the changes in magnetic flux detected by the detection means, and a phase related means for detecting a phase related component of the output signal relative to the input signal so as to detect variations in stress in the stress carrying element.
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29. A magnetostrictive stress sensor comprising:
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a drive coil for generating an excitation field in response to an alternating electrical stimulus, said alternating electrical stimulus having a drive phase component; a pick-up coil for generating an alternating electrical output signal in response to said excitation field, said alternating electrical output signal having a first excitation phase component that is substantially in phase with said drive phase component and having a second excitation phase component that is out of phase with said drive phase component; and quadrant multiplier means connected to said drive coil and to said pick-up coil for detecting said first excitation phase component and for generating an electrical signal in response to said first excitation phase component. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A magnetostrictive stress sensing system comprising:
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a ferromagnetic stress carrying element; a one of a solenoidal, single core, and cross design magnetostrictive sensor, said one magnetostrictive adjacent said stress carrying element; driver means for generating an input signal to an excitation means wherein said excitation means generates an alternating magnetic flux in said stress carrying element and wherein said alternating magnetic flux is dependent on said input signal; detection means for detecting changes in magnetic flux resulting from load induced stress variations in said stress carrying element and for generating an output signal dependent on changes in magnetic flux detected by said detection means; and phase related means for detecting a phase related component of said output signal relative to said input signal so as to detect variations in stress in said stress carrying element.
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35. A magnetostrictive stress sensing system comprising:
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means for generating an input signal to an excitation means wherein said excitation means generates an alternating magnetic flux in a stress carrying element and wherein said alternating magnetic flux is dependent on the input signal; a detection means which detects changes in magnetic flux resulting from load induced stress variation in the stress carrying element; an output signal produced by the detection means wherein said output signal is dependent on the changes in magnetic flux detected by the detection means; a quadrant multiplier for detecting an in-phase component of said output signal in phase with said input signal, wherein said in-phase component is used to detect variations in stress in the stress carrying element.
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36. A magnetostrictive stress sensing system comprising:
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means for generating an input signal to an excitation means wherein said excitation means generates an alternating magnetic flux in a stress carrying element and wherein said alternating magnetic flux is dependent on the input signal; a detection means which detects changes in magnetic flux resulting from load induced stress variation in the stress carrying element; an output signal produced by the detection means wherein said output signal is dependent on the changes in magnetic flux detected by the detection means; a quadrant multiplier for detecting a quadrature component of the output signal ninety degrees out of phase with the input signal, wherein said quadrature component is used to detect variations in stress in the stress carrying element.
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37. A magnetostrictive stress sensing system comprising:
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means for generating an input signal to an excitation means wherein said excitation means generates an alternating magnetic flux in a stress carrying element and wherein said alternating magnetic flux is dependent on the input signal; a Hall effect sensor which detects changes in magnetic flux resulting from load induced stress variation in the stress carrying element; an output signal produced by the detection means wherein said output signal is dependent on the changes in magnetic flux detected by the detection means; a phase related means for detecting a phase related element of the output signal relative to the input signal, wherein said phase related element is used to detect variations in stress in the stress carrying element.
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38. A magnetostrictive stress sensor comprising:
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a drive coil for generating an excitation field in response to an alternating electrical stimulus, said alternating electrical stimulus having a drive phase characteristic; a pick-up coil for generating an alternating electrical output signal in response to said excitation field, said alternating electrical output signal having a first excitation phase characteristic that is substantially in phase with said drive phase characteristic and having a second excitation phase characteristic that is out of phase with said drive phase characteristic and is a quadrature component 90°
out of phase with said alternating electrical stimulus; andquadrant multiplier means connected to said drive coil and to said pick-up coil for detecting said first excitation phase characteristic and for generating an electrical signal in response to said first excitation phase characteristic.
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Specification