Optical current sensor by self-compensating the Faraday effect

Abstract

A novel optical system that combines a polarimetric current sensor based on the Faraday effect, and a voltage sensor based on the Pockels effect, is described. The proposed device uses polarizers that possess high polarization ratios in specific spectral ranges. This allows the simultaneous codification of current and voltage information in different spectral regions, which, in turn, enables independent measurements of both magnitudes. Validation experiments are presented. " 2009 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.",,,,,,"10.1117/1.3139299",,,"http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12104/43379","http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-78149485161&partnerID=40&md5=0e2b3473a53e45282e34abca1c41e63d",,,,,,"5",,"Optical Engineering",,,,"48",,"Scopus",,,,,,"Faraday effect; optical current sensor; optical voltage sensor; Pockels cell",,,,,,"Optical current and voltage sensor using differential spectroscopy",,"Article" "45159","123456789/35008",,"Beltran, H.C., Electronic Engineering Department, University of Guadalajara, Av. Revolución #1500, CP. 44840, Guadalajara, Jal., Mexico; Flores, J.L., Electronic Engineering Department, University of Guadalajara, Av. Revolución #1500, CP. 44840, Guadalajara, Jal., Mexico; Ferrari, J.A., Instituto de Física, Facultad de Ingeniería, J. Herrera y Reissig 565, 11300 Montevideo, Uruguay; García-Torales, G., Electronic Engineering Department, University of Guadalajara, Av. Revolución #1500, CP. 44840, Guadalajara, Jal., Mexico; Cabrera, J., Electronic Engineering Department, University of Guadalajara, Av. Revolución #1500, CP. 44840, Guadalajara, Jal., Mexico",,"Beltran, H.C.

Flores, J.L.

Ferrari, J.A.

García-Torales, G.

Cabrera, J.",,"2011",,"We present a new optical current sensor architecture, which is based on a polarimetric configuration and a control system for self-compensation of the Faraday effect taking place at the sensor head. After passing through a bulk Faraday sensor head, the light travels through the free space reaching a Faraday modulator placed some distance away from the conductor carrying the current. The first device acts a current transducer and the second one acts as a magneto-optical element operated in a closed-loop mode to compensate the angle of rotation of the polarization introduced by the sensor head. The control system operates in closed loop feedback through a simple current-driven solenoid, and this way, the optical output from the current sensor is maintained at a constant intensity. Considering that the optical and electrical parameters of the sensor head and the Faraday modulator are known, the electrical current applied to the solenoid can be measured, and thus the current flowing through the conductor can be calculated. Experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed device to measure remotely the current carried by the conductor. " 2011 Copyright Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).