Linear variable differential transformer with multi-range secondary windings for high precision

A linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) having an electrical stroke includes a probe axially movable along a length of the LVDT electrical stroke, a primary winding extending axially over the length of the LVDT electrical stroke, and a secondary winding extending axially over the length of the LVDT electrical stroke. The LVDT further includes a tertiary winding extending axially over less than the length of the LVDT electrical stroke, the tertiary winding at least partially overlapping with the secondary winding. An advantage of the LVDT in accordance with the present disclosure is that the accuracy of the position calculated from the tertiary winding is greater relative to the total stroke of the LVDT than that calculated from the secondary winding. This is accomplished while still fitting within the envelope of a standard single output LVDT.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present disclosure relates generally to Linear Variable Differential Transformers (LVDTs), and more particularly to a multi-output LVDT with standard precision and high precision secondary windings.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Linear variable differential transformers (LVDTs) are electromechanical transducers that convert rectilinear motion of externally coupled objects into electrical signals that are proportional to the positions of the objects. LVDTs have been utilized in conjunction with a wide range of measurement and control devices such as flowmeters, strain gages, and pressure sensors. Important characteristics of a practical LVDT include (i) the ability to produce a linear output signal over a relatively large displacement range relative to the overall length of the device, (ii) durability and reliability, and (iii) relatively low cost of manufacture.

Generally, in LVDTs a single primary winding is excited by a single-phase input signal in such a manner that there occurs, at individual locations of two differentially-connected secondary windings, reluctance that varies in response to a varying linear position of an iron core (which moves with an object of detection) so that the voltage amplitude level of a resultant single-phase inductive AC output signal indicates the linear position of the iron core. Such LVDTs are capable of detecting a linear position over a range where the induced voltage value shows linearity with respect to the linear position of the core, at and around the locations of the two secondary windings. The windings are provided in such a manner that the induced voltage varies in a differential manner, and the function of variation in the induced voltage value relative to the linear position does not change over a periodic function (e.g., a trigometric function such as a sine function).

Position accuracy provided by conventional LVDTs is generally constant throughout the range of motion of the core within the LVDT. While this may be sufficient for typical LVDT applications, it may be desirable to enhance the accuracy of the LVDT's position sensing capabilities, particularly at certain locations within the stroke of the LVDT.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An LVDT in accordance with the present disclosure provides linear position measurement with a first resolution over the entire stroke of the LVDT, and linear position measurement with a second resolution over at least a portion of the LVDT stroke, where the second resolution is higher than the first resolution.

In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, a linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) having an electrical stroke includes: a probe axially movable along a length of the LVDT electrical stroke; a primary winding extending axially over the length of the LVDT electrical stroke; a secondary winding extending axially over the length of the LVDT electrical stroke; and a tertiary winding extending axially over less than the length of the LVDT electrical stroke, the tertiary winding at least partially overlapping with the secondary winding.

In one embodiment, the primary winding, secondary winding, and tertiary winding are concentric.

In one embodiment, the primary winding includes a first number of turns per unit length, the secondary winding comprises a second number of turns per unit length, and the tertiary winding comprises a third number of turns per unit length, the third number of turns per unit length greater than the second number of turns per unit length.

In one embodiment, the primary winding includes a first winding pitch, the secondary winding comprises a second winding pitch, and the tertiary winding comprises a third winding pitch, the third winding pitch being narrower than the second winding pitch.

In one embodiment, the secondary winding is a standard-accuracy winding that provides a proportional output over the length of the LVDT, and the tertiary winding is a high-accuracy winding that provides a proportional output for a lesser portion than the length of the LVDT.

In one embodiment, the secondary winding is a standard-accuracy winding that provides a proportional output through the full LVDT electrical stroke, and the tertiary winding is a high-accuracy winding that provides a proportional output for a lesser portion of the full LVDT electrical stroke.

In one embodiment, the windings are arranged such that the secondary winding and tertiary winding receive magnetic coupling from the primary winding depending on a position of the probe along the LVDT electrical stroke.

In one embodiment, when the probe is within the portion of the LVDT electrical stroke where the high-accuracy tertiary winding is disposed, the tertiary winding produces position output function that is subject to less error than the standard-accuracy secondary winding.

In one embodiment, the primary winding surrounds the tertiary winding and the secondary winding surrounds the primary and tertiary windings.

In one embodiment, the primary winding surrounds the secondary winding and the tertiary winding surrounds the primary and secondary windings.

In one embodiment, the probe is a single probe comprising a single magnetic core.

In one embodiment, the probe is a single probe comprising an iron core.

In one embodiment, the LVDT includes a spacer arranged adjacent to the tertiary winding.

In one embodiment, the secondary winding and the tertiary winding each comprise a tapered winding configuration.

In one embodiment, the secondary winding and the tertiary winding each comprise multiple discrete coils.

In one embodiment, the secondary winding comprises a first coil part and a second coil part, the first and second coil parts electrically in series.

In one embodiment, the LVDT includes a first terminal connected to first end of the first coil part, a second terminal connected to a first end of the second coil part, and a common terminal connected to a second end of each of the first coil part and the second winding part.

In one embodiment, the tertiary winding comprises a first coil part and a second coil part, the first and second coil parts electrically in series.

In one embodiment, the secondary winding comprises a first secondary output, and the tertiary winding comprises a second secondary output.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, an aircraft includes: a flight control surface arranged on the aircraft; and an LVDT as described herein operatively coupled to the flight control surface.

In one embodiment, the aircraft includes a flight controller for controlling a position of the flight control surface, the flight controller including a first output for controlling a position of the flight control surface, first input operatively coupled to the secondary winding, and a second input operatively coupled to the tertiary winding, the controller configured to control the position of the flight control surface based on a position feedback signal provided by the secondary and tertiary windings.

These and other features of the invention are more fully described and particularly pointed out in the description and claims set out below, and this Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter. The following description and claims and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, and these embodiments indicate but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be used.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An LVDT in accordance with the present disclosure provides multi outputs that include standard full travel secondary outputs and high precision secondary outputs for at least a portion of the total measurement range of the LVDT. The LVDT includes a probe assembly, such as a magnetic core probe assembly or the like, that moves axially along a length of the LVDT to create a variable coupling between the primary and two secondary windings.

For description purposes a “secondary output” is defined as being composed of a first and second secondary winding, which for example may be placed on a bobbin with wire turns and crossovers, such that difference of the first and second secondary voltages is divided by the sum of the same secondary voltages and represents the ratio-metric output function. The LVDT in accordance with the present disclosure includes at least one standard-accuracy secondary output that is designed to provide a ratio output throughout the full electrical stroke of the LVDT position sensor and at least one high-accuracy secondary output that provides a ratio output for a lesser portion of the full electrical stroke of the LVDT. The first and second secondary windings of the secondary outputs and the primary windings are arranged so that both the high-accuracy secondary and the full stroke secondary receive magnetic coupling from the primary winding depending on the probe position.

The high-accuracy secondary output provides a higher accuracy than the standard secondary output for a portion of the total travel. This is accomplished, for example, by dedicating the range of the high precision secondary winding's coupling to a more limited range of travel. When the core of the probe is within the portion of the electrical stroke where the high-accuracy LVDT secondary windings are magnetically coupled, a position output function is produced that is less subject to error relative to the stroke of the LVDT than the standard full travel secondary output. For example, position data from the standard-accuracy secondary output is used to provide absolute position data over the full stroke of the LVDT, and position data from the high-accuracy secondary output is used to provide incremental high-accuracy position data over a region of interest. The data from the respective secondary outputs is combined to provide high-resolution position data for the portion of the stroke in which the respective windings overlap.

In a layered winding arrangement the windings, depending on the LVDT construction, can be arranged to have the high-accuracy windings below or above the standard-accuracy windings. Other winding schedules can be used to accomplish the same high-accuracy secondary output function. The basic arrangement of this embodiment is the concentrically nested orientation of the windings allows for a shorter LVDT size, which is highly favorable for many applications such as actuator position sensing for a flight control actuator. Further, the distinction that this embodiment uses a single movable core on a single probe for both the standard and high-accuracy secondary outputs is an improvement over designs where two separate movable cores or two separate probes are used.

The LVDT in accordance with the present disclosure may best be understood by comparing it with the prior art.FIG. 1is a longitudinal cross-section schematic view of a prior art tapered-winding LVDT. Major components include hollow coil form (or mandrel)1, primary winding2, first secondary winding3, second secondary winding4, moveable core5, and non-ferrous connection rod6.FIG. 2is an electrical schematic of the device shown inFIG. 1.

Primary winding2is wrapped around cylindrically-shaped coil form1. First secondary winding3is wrapped over primary winding2in a tapered shape, with a maximum number of wire wraps at the right end of the winding and a minimum number of wire wraps on the left end of the winding, as shown. Second secondary winding4is wrapped in complementary form over first secondary winding3. As shown inFIG. 2, primary winding2terminates in excitation contacts7, and secondary windings3,4terminate in output signal contacts8. Moveable core5is made from iron or other material having significant magnetic permeability.

When alternating electrical current flows through primary winding2, a portion of the input voltage is coupled to secondary windings3,4via the moveable core5, and may be measured at output contacts8. Since the secondary windings3,4are wired with opposite polarity as shown inFIG. 2, the signal produced at the output contacts8is the difference between the induced voltages in the secondary windings3,4.

The amount of mutual inductance between primary winding2and secondary windings3,4is a function of the physical position of moveable core5. Referring toFIG. 1, when moveable core5is located near the right side of the device (as shown), the core is in proximity to the thick portion of first secondary winding3, and is distant from the thick portion of second secondary winding4. The induced voltage in the secondary windings3,4is a function of the number of wire wraps in each winding and their proximity to the core5; therefore, there will be a higher voltage induced in first secondary winding3than in second secondary winding4when the core is near the right side of the device, because winding3is thicker than winding4in the zone surrounding core5. As the core5moves from right to left, it progressively induces more voltage into winding4and less voltage into winding3, due to the varying thicknesses of each winding. At some particular point of core5displacement within the winding form1, the voltages induced in the two windings3,4are of equal magnitude. When these voltages are subtracted internal to the interface electronics, the result is zero. This position of the core is referred to as the “null position”, which does not correspond to the core being in the physical center of the device, since the first secondary winding3is closer than second secondary winding4to the core5when the core5is centered in the device. This distance difference of the two windings3,4results in more voltage induced into the closer winding.

Although the device shown inFIG. 1is straightforward from a theoretical standpoint, the actual physical construction of such a device with tapered windings may be difficult or not possible to achieve. For example, consider a secondary winding having a wire diameter of 0.006 inch (34 gauge), a winding length of 3 inches, and a maximum thickness of 12 wire layers. Such a winding could not be physically constructed without a widely-spaced or non-uniform pitch of the winding wires. This arrangement would result in less wire length in the winding than if the adjacent wires on a layer were touching each other (i.e., narrow pitch), and the performance of the device would be adversely affected due to the reduced total wire length in the winding. In the context of the present disclosure, the term “pitch” refers to the spacing between adjacent wire wraps of the same winding, which can best be seen inFIG. 2A.

FIG. 3illustrates an alternative embodiment of the prior art. In this embodiment, multiple discrete windings are wound around a winding form1that comprises raised ribs to confine the winding wraps. As shown, the device incorporates multiple primary windings2, multiple first secondary windings3, multiple second secondary windings4, and moveable core5. Although this embodiment eliminates the requirement for winding tapered windings, it does require winding multiple small windings, which requires more labor than winding fewer large windings. Some currently available commercial devices use a variation of this embodiment, in which the windings are pre-wound on individual bobbins, then placed on the winding form and connected electrically. This arrangement requires numerous electrical connections on the fine winding wires in order to join the individual windings that make up the first secondary, the second secondary and the primary windings.

FIG. 4is a longitudinal cross-section schematic view of a first embodiment of an LVDT in accordance with the present disclosure. The LVDT20has a first (primary) winding22that extends axially over a length of the LVDT20, and a second (secondary) winding24that also extends axially over the length of the LVDT20. The secondary winding24includes a first coil part24aand a second coil part24belectrically in series with the first coil part24a, where signals A2, B2and COM2are each brought to a separate terminal (seeFIG. 6). A third (tertiary) winding26extends axially over less than the length of the LVDT and at least partially overlaps with the secondary winding24. The tertiary winding26also includes a first coil part26aand a second coil part26belectrically in series with the first coil part26a, where signals A3, B3and COM3are each brought to a separate terminal. The LVDT ofFIG. 4may comprise tapered windings as shown inFIG. 1or multiple discrete windings as shown inFIG. 3, or any other configuration known in the art. A probe28is axially movable along a length of the LVDT. The probe28may be an iron core probe and may be magnetic, and is couplable to a device in which a position measurement is to be made. The coupling to the device, for example, may be via a non-ferrous coupling member.

The primary, secondary and tertiary windings are arranged such that the secondary winding24and tertiary winding26receive magnetic coupling from the primary winding22depending on a position of the probe28along the LVDT electrical stroke. A longitudinal span of the primary winding22and the secondary winding24over which the probe28travels defines an electrical stroke30of the LVDT20. For example, the electrical stroke30of the LVDT inFIG. 4is defined as the span beginning at a first end20aof the LVDT20and ending at a second end20bof the LVDT20. The electrical stroke30of the LVDT is the region in which the LVDT20provides data corresponding to a position of the probe28relative to a longitudinal axis of the windings22,24. If the probe28is no longer within the region defined by the electrical stroke30, position data for the probe28cannot be provided.

The secondary winding24is a standard-accuracy winding that provides a ratio output over the length of the LVDT (e.g., over the full electrical stroke30of the LVDT), and the tertiary winding26is a high-accuracy winding that provides a ratio output for a lesser portion than the length of the LVDT (e.g., less than the full electrical stroke30of the LVDT). The tertiary winding may be located anywhere along the electrical stroke30of the LVDT as required by the specific application. For example, if higher resolution is desired at the first end20aof the LVDT, then the tertiary winding26may be located nearer the first end20athan the second end20b. If higher resolution is desired along the mid-portion of the electrical stroke30, then the tertiary winding26may be located at or near a center of the electrical stroke30.

As shown inFIG. 4, the primary winding22, secondary winding24, and tertiary winding26are concentric. In the embodiment ofFIG. 4, the primary winding22surrounds the tertiary winding26and the secondary winding24surrounds both the primary winding22and tertiary winding26.FIG. 5illustrates another embodiment of an LVDT20′ that is similar to the embodiment ofFIG. 4, except that in the embodiment ofFIG. 5the primary winding22surrounds the secondary winding24, and the tertiary winding26surrounds both the primary winding22and secondary winding24.

Adjacent to each tertiary winding26is a spacer or “blank”32that occupies the remaining space along the electrical stroke30of LVDT not occupied by the tertiary winding26. The spacer32may be formed, for example, from a non-ferrous material, such as plastic or the like. The spacer32may be bonded to one or more windings using a conventional adhesive or other fastening means. The spacer allows the subsequent winding(s) to be wound on a flat surface which will simplify the manufacturing process.

The primary, secondary and tertiary windings each have a number of turns per unit length (also referred to as a pitch). In one embodiment, the primary windings22have a first number of turns per unit length, the secondary windings24have a second number of turns per unit length, and the tertiary windings26have a third number of turns per unit length, where the third number of turns per unit length is greater than the second number of turns per unit length. In this manner, higher precision is achievable when the probe28is in the portion of the electrical stroke30that corresponds to the tertiary windings26.

FIG. 6illustrates the electrical connections for the LVDT20,20′ shown inFIGS. 4 and 5. More particularly, the primary winding22terminates in excitation terminals40, the secondary windings24terminate in output terminals44, and the tertiary winding26terminates in output terminals46. Output terminals44correspond to a “secondary output” for the secondary winding24, and output terminals46correspond to a “secondary output” for the tertiary winding26.

A position of the probe28may be determined, for example, based on the equation (An-Bn)/(An+Bn), where Anrepresents the voltage at terminal Anrelative to terminal COMA, Bnrepresents the voltage at terminal Bnrelative to terminal COMA, and n represents the particular winding (e.g., n=2 for the secondary winding, and n=3 for the tertiary winding).

When alternating current flows through the primary winding22, a portion of the input voltage is coupled to the secondary winding24via the probe28and may be measured at terminals44. Similarly, when the probe28is in a position corresponding to the tertiary winding26, a portion of the input voltage is coupled to the tertiary winding26and may be measured at terminals46. Due to the characteristics of the tertiary winding26, increased accuracy is achieved.

As can be seen inFIG. 6, the secondary winding24includes a first coil part24aand a second coil part24belectrically in series with the first coil part24a. Similarly, the tertiary winding26includes a first coil part26aand a second coil part26belectrically in series with the first coil part26a. The first and second coil parts of secondary and tertiary windings are each wired with opposite polarity as shown inFIG. 6. The signals produced at the output terminals44and46are the A and B signals that will be used mathematically to calculate the LVDT position by the control electronics.

Moving toFIG. 7, illustrated is an aircraft50that employs an LVDT20,20′ in accordance with the present disclosure. The aircraft50includes one or more flight control surfaces52, such as spoilers, flaps or the like, that control the behavior of the aircraft50during flight. One or more actuators54, such as electro-mechanical actuators, are operatively coupled to the flight control surfaces52to effect motion thereof. Also coupled to each flight control surface52is one or more LVDTs20,20′ in accordance with the present disclosure. Thus, as a position of the flight control surfaces52are changed via the corresponding actuator54, the LVDT20,20′ will provide signals ratio-metrically related to the position.

The aircraft also includes a flight controller56having a first output operatively coupled to the actuator54to command the actuator to effect motion of the flight control surface, a first input operatively coupled to the secondary winding24of the LVDT, and a second input operatively coupled to the tertiary winding26of the LVDT. The flight controller56is configured to control the position of the flight control surface52based on a position feedback signal provided by the secondary and tertiary windings. Such configuration is advantageous in that it eliminates the need for a separate high-accuracy resolver sensor.