CET, IIT Madras bag patent for invention of non-invasive voltage measurement device

The College of Engineering Thiruvananthapuram (CET) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, have been awarded a patent for designing a non-contact voltage measurement device.

The Indian Patent Office has issued a patent for the joint project “Instrumentation system with a completely non-invasive probe for measuring alternating current voltage”.

The device was invented by Boby George, Head, Department of Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT Madras, and P S Shenil, Associate Professor, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Government Engineering College, Barton Hill. Dr. Shenil was previously a faculty member at CET.

Voltage is usually measured by stripping the insulation of live wires in electrical installations and connecting them to devices such as a voltmeter.

According to the inventors, this non-invasive device can measure voltage changes with high accuracy without stripping insulation. Additionally, the system can be integrated with IoT (Internet of Things) devices, smart energy meters and smart homes. It can also be used effectively for the maintenance of electrical equipment and machines in industry.

The system consists of a sensor probe, a measurement unit, a processor and a display. The probe contains a cylindrical electrode composed of two semicircular rings. These two halves of semicircular electrodes are hinged and can be used like a clamp-on current transformer.