Optical Pockels voltage sensor assembly device and methods of use thereof
An optical voltage sensor assembly includes an input fiber-optic collimator positioned and configured to collimate input light beam from a light source. A crystal material is positioned to receive the input light beam from the light source and configured to exhibit the Pockels effect when an electric field is applied through the crystal material. An output fiber-optic collimator is positioned to receive an output light beam from the crystal material and configured to focus the output light beam from the crystal onto a detector. Methods of using the optical voltage sensor assembly are also disclosed.
1. An optical voltage sensor assembly comprising:
an input collimator positioned and configured to collimate an input light beam from a light source;
a crystal material positioned to receive the input light beam from the light source and configured to exhibit the Pockels effect when an electric field is applied through the crystal material;
an output collimator positioned to receive an output light beam from the crystal material and configured to focus the output light beam from the crystal material onto a detector; and
a sensor computing device coupled to the detector, the sensor computing device comprising a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the processor executes programmed instructions stored in the memory to determine a temperature-corrected voltage drop across the crystal material based on a measured optical phase change for the output light beam based on the Pockels effect and a measured temperature in the area of the optical voltage sensor assembly.
2. The optical voltage sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the crystal material is a non-centrosymmetric crystal material.
3. The optical voltage sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the crystal material is selected from the group consisting of C 6 H 5 O 2 N, Pb 0.814 La 0.124 (Ti 0.6 Zr 0.4 )O 3 (PLZT), β-Zns, ZnSe, ZnTe, Bi 12 SiO 20 , Ba 0.25 Sr 0.75 Nb 2 O 6 , KTa 0.35 Sr 0.75 Nb 0.65 O 3 , CsH 2 AsO 4 , NH 4 H 2 PO 4 , NH 4 D 2 PO 4 , KD 2 PO 4 , KH 2 PO 4 , Lithium Niobate (LiNbO 3 ), LiTaO 3 , BaTiO 3 SrTiO 3 , Ag 3 AsS 3 , KNbO 3 , and electro-optic polymers.
4. The optical voltage sensor assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
an input linear polarizer positioned and configured to polarize the input light beam from the light source; and
an output linear polarizer positioned and configured to polarize the output light beam from the crystal material.
5. The optical voltage sensor assembly of claim 4 , wherein the input linear polarizer and the output linear polarizer have a thickness of less than about 1.0 mm.
6. The optical voltage sensor assembly of claim 1 further comprising:
a retro-prism device coupled to the crystal material and positioned to receive light directed from the input collimator through the crystal material, wherein the retro-prism device is configured to redirect the light received through the crystal material back through the crystal material to the output collimator.
7. The optical voltage sensor assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature in the area of the optical voltage sensor assembly.
8. The optical voltage sensor assembly of claim 7 , wherein the temperature sensor is coupled to a component of the optical voltage sensor assembly.
9. The optical voltage sensor assembly of claim 7 , wherein the temperature sensor comprises one of a GaAs bandgap fiber-optic temperature sensor, a fluorescence fiber-optic temperature sensor, an electrical temperature sensor, or a mechanical temperature sensor.
10. The optical voltage sensor assembly of claim 1 further comprising:
a pair of electrodes in contact with the crystal material, wherein the pair of electrodes are positioned to provide a voltage potential across the crystal material.
11. A method for measuring voltage comprising:
providing the optical voltage sensor assembly of claim 1 ;
subjecting the crystal material of the optical voltage sensor assembly to an applied electric field;
measuring the optical phase change for the output light beam; and
determining the temperature-corrected voltage drop across the crystal material based on the measured optical phase change for the output light beam and one or more properties of the crystal material.
12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
providing a temperature sensor near the crystal material of the optical voltage sensor assembly;
measuring a temperature near the crystal material of the optical voltage using the temperature sensor; and
applying one or more calibration factors based on the measured temperature to the determined voltage drop across the crystal material.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the temperature sensor is coupled to a component of the optical voltage sensor assembly.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the temperature sensor comprises one of a GaAs bandgap fiber-optic temperature sensor, a fluorescence fiber-optic temperature sensor, an electrical temperature sensor, or a mechanical temperature sensor.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the crystal material is a non-centrosymmetric crystal material.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the crystal material is selected from the group consisting of C 6 H 5 O 2 N, Pb 0.814 La 0.124 (Ti 0.6 Zr 0.4 )O 3 (PLZT), β-Zns, ZnSe, ZnTe, Bi 12 SiO 20 , Ba 0.25 Sr 0.75 Nb 2 O 6 , KTa 0.35 Sr 0.75 Nb 0.65 O 3 , CsH 2 AsO 4 , NH 4 H 2 PO 4 , NH 4 D 2 PO 4 , KD 2 PO 4 , KH 2 PO 4 , Lithium Niobate (LiNbO 3 ), LiTaO 3 , BaTiO 3 SrTiO 3 , Ag 3 AsS 3 , KNbO 3 , and electro-optic polymers.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the optical voltage sensor assembly further comprises an input linear polarizer positioned and configured to polarize the input light beam from the light source, and an output linear polarizer positioned and configured to polarize the output light beam from the crystal material.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the input linear polarizer and the output linear polarizer have a thickness of less than about 1.0 mm.
19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the optical voltage sensor assembly further comprises:
a retro-prism device coupled to the crystal material and positioned to receive light directed from the input collimator through the crystal material, wherein the retro-prism device is configured to redirect the light received through the crystal material back through the crystal material to the output collimator.
20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the optical voltage sensor assembly further comprises:
a pair of electrodes in contact with the crystal material, wherein the pair of electrodes are positioned to provide a voltage potential across the crystal material.