Patent ID: 6946833

Claim:
A polar coordinates sensor generating a hemispherical flux in a conductive workpiece and for detecting an asymmetry in the said hemispherical flux and generating an asymmetric signal; said sensor having an improved flux suspension system comprising: a) a toroidal core formed of a high permeability material taking the shape of a slotless pot-core half, and; said pot-core half further comprising: a central cylindrical pole concentrically surrounded by a cylindrical outer pole, leaving an interposed annular pick-up coil space, and a base portion for connecting said central and outer poles at one end, a cylindrical winding window coaxially disposed in the central cylindrical pole extending the axial length of the pot-core half, the opposite end forming an annular sensing face, and; a pick-up coil of many turns wound around central cylindrical pole for generating an asymmetric flux signal; said pick-up coil shunted by a variable capacitor forming an oscillatory tank circuit; the axis of said pick-up coil being orthogonal to the said hemispherical flux for a signal null when the eddy current reflection is symmetrical, and; a high conductivity laminated Lenz lens taking the shape of a thick washer having a cylindrical bore coaxially disposed within and extending the longitudinal length of the said washer, the said laminated Lenz lens formed of a stack of thin flat washers formed of a high conductive material; the axial length of the said Lenz lens being at least the longitudinal length of the said pot-core half; the said Lenz lens being tightly fit concentrically around the pot-core half, for forming an integral field focusing aperture at a first cylindrical end, the said base portion being disposed at a second cylindrical end; the said flux suspension system further comprising, at least two high premeability toroid cores, having respective winding windows coaxially stacked to define a toroidal reactor; the said toroidal reactor being disposed at the said second cylindrical end in coaxial alignment with the pot-core winding window; x-y-axes excitation winding distributions having connecting leads, shuttled through the said winding windows, and further, all excitation turns encompassing the pick-up coil, the pot-core half, the Lenz lens, and the toroidal reactor in symmetrically coverage, to form the said flux suspension system; a first source of x-y excitation currents being applied to said x-y excitation winding distributions for generating a first hemispherical driving field fringing from the said annular sensing face; a software programable digital to analog x-y excitation current generator for generating at least a duality of first and second x-y current outputs, a selected first output of said duality, feeding the said first source of x-y excitation; the said software containing programable digital values for generation of at least the said selected first x-y output, and an auxiliary second x-y output.