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Variable reluctance pickup sensors, otherwise known as variable reluctance sensors or variable magnetic reluctance pickups are sensors that take the measure of moving metal parts. In order to do this, the sensor has a magnet, a magnetic pole piece and a coil winding. The target is the moving metal part, for example, a toothed wheel that rotates.
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Imagine the wheel turning, and as it turns the drag changes as it moves through coils. The result is variable voltage that is measured externally. Of course this is a very simple explanation of a more complicated process.
It may help to understand how a variable reluctance pickup works by comparing it to an old phonograph. Of course they don't even make record players any more, but at one time the old phonographs had an iron stylus assembly. The pickup for the record player came from variations in the reluctance (flow) of the magnetic circuit coming from the movements of the iron stylus, a part of the magnetic circuit.
Picture if you will a closed circuit made up of the various component pieces and how they interact to close that circuit, and produce a current to make them functional. Now that you have that picture firmly fixed in your mind, take the next step into the 21st century and meet today's variable reluctance pickup.
A Bit of History
It's always kind of handy to have a bit of history about things to be able to discuss them intelligently. The history of the variable reluctance pickup (magnetic resistance) was born in 1888, so its been around for ages. Perhaps not as well understood as it could be, but many people are just happy knowing that something works without having to know the reasons why it works. The man who gave the name magnetic resistance to his "discovery" was Oliver Heaviside.
Today this small discovery has made the world of difference in many fields. The principles behind variable reluctance pickup drive various sectors of our economy in unseen ways. They make the 21st century far more productive on a larger scale than would be possible without small pieces of innovative technology like this.
Designs for Today
Variable reluctance pickups are designed for just about any type of environment you could imagine. In addition, they can be designed specifically to suit what the end user wants. The specifications are exacting when they are made, and include variable reluctance pickups sealed hermetically, encapsulated in epoxy, and explosion proof sensors. There are other options as well - cryogenic, intrinsically safe and high temperature.
Opt for a hermetically sealed variable reluctance pickup when harsh environments are a factor. These pickups can withstand a lot of abuse. If you don't have abusive environments to worry about, you can work with the epoxy encapsulated pickups. For continuous high temperature environments, you would want to use the high temperature variable reluctance pickup because it handles temperatures from -450 degrees F to +850 degrees F (1000F intermittently).
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