US 12,306,021 B2
Digital rod position indication system and method
Timothy S. Meyers, Finleyville, PA (US); and Dirk J. Boomgaard, Monroeville, PA (US)
Assigned to Westinghouse Electric Company LLC, Cranberry Township, PA (US)
Appl. No. 17/595,149
Filed by Westinghouse Electric Company LLC, Cranberry Township, PA (US)
PCT Filed May 8, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/032115
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 10, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/029926, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 18, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/846,002, filed on May 10, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0223304 A1, Jul. 14, 2022
Int. Cl. G01D 5/12 (2006.01); G21C 7/08 (2006.01); G21C 17/12 (2006.01)
CPC G01D 5/12 (2013.01) [G21C 7/08 (2013.01); G21C 17/12 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A rod position indication system, comprising:
a first set of coils and a second set of coils disposed in an alternating arrangement;
a first data encoder unit connected to each of the first set of coils, wherein the first data encoder unit is configured to generate a first reference signal and first position data;
a second data encoder unit connected to the each of the second set of coils, wherein the second data encoder unit is configured to generate a second reference signal and second position data; and
a processing circuit in signal communication with the first and second data encoder units, where the processing circuit is configured to:
generate a logic comparison of the first and second reference signals;
generate a logic signal based on the first position data and the second position data; and
perform a logic operation on the logic signal and a result of the logic comparison.