Electromagnetic effect testing

• US 9,739,818 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2014
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Yuen, Felix D., Robb, Andrew M., Bommer, Jason P.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, PARESH H
• Application Number:
  US14/207,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20150260775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/02 Lightning protectors; Static dischargers in general H01T
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/181 using coils without a magnetic core, e.g. Rogowski coils
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/0092 measuring current only all subgroups of G01R19/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/0842 Measurements related to lightning, e.g. measuring electric disturbances, warning systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/001 Measuring interference from external sources to, or emission from, the device under test, e.g. EMC, EMI, EMP or ESD testing measuring electromagnetic fields G01R29/08; circuits for generating HV pulses in dielectric strength testing G01R31/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/008 on air- or spacecraft, railway rolling stock or sea-going vessels
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A device comprises a circuit board, a Rogowski coil on the circuit board, persistent data storage on the circuit board, and a control circuit on the circuit board for collecting values representing current sensed by the coil, and storing the values in the persistent memory.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a circuit board;

a Rogowski coil on the circuit board, the Rogowski coil configured to generate transient pulses in response to electromagnetic effect (EME) current;

persistent data storage on the circuit board; and

a control circuit on the circuit board for collecting values representing current sensed by the coil, and storing the values in the persistent data storage, the control circuit including an analog integrator for integrating the transient pulses generated by the Rogowski coil to produce analog values, an analog to digital converter for converting analog values from the analog integrator to digital values, and a controller for storing the digital values in the persistent data storage, the controller configured to;

detect an electromagnetic effect (EME) event;

store values for a first period after the EME event has been detected;

store values for a second period immediately preceding the EME event; and

construct a full current waveform for the values stored during the first and second periods, wherein the full current waveform includes a rise time of current induced by the EME event.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the circuit board is a multi-layer printed circuit board;

and wherein the Rogowski coil is formed in multiple layers of the circuit board.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a ferromagnetic shield covering the data storage and the control circuit.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the circuit board has a length of several inches.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the first period is about 50 microseconds, and the second period is between 300 and 450 microseconds.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to transmit the full current waveform upon request from a base computer communicatively coupled to the device.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising a wireless transmitter for transmitting the full current waveform.

8. A system for analyzing a structure during an electromagnetic effect (EME) event, the system comprising a plurality of the devices of claim 1 fastened to the structure.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a computer programmed to query the devices to collect information about current flowing through the structure during the EME event, the devices queried after the EME event has ended.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the devices includes wireless transmitters for communicating wirelessly with the computer.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer is further programmed to process the collected information to map a path of EME current that flowed through the structure during the EME event.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is further configured to output the full current waveform, whereby a lightning strike may be simulated by injecting the waveform into a wing structure to which the Rogowski coil is coupled.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to store the full current waveform in the persistent data storage.