Patents by Inventor Alex W. Nienstedt

Alex W. Nienstedt has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Sensor and methods of detecting target materials and situations in closed systems
    Patent number: 9915575
    Abstract: Disclosed is a passive, in-situ pressure sensor. The sensor includes a sensing element having a ferromagnetic metal and a tension inducing mechanism coupled to the ferromagnetic metal. The tension inducing mechanism is operable to change a tensile stress upon the ferromagnetic metal based on a change in pressure in the sensing element. Changes in pressure are detected based on changes in the magnetic switching characteristics of the ferromagnetic metal when subjected to an alternating magnetic field caused by the change in the tensile stress. The sensing element is embeddable in a closed system for detecting pressure changes without the need for any penetrations of the system for power or data acquisition by detecting changes in the magnetic switching characteristics of the ferromagnetic metal caused by the tensile stress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC
    Inventors: David K. Mee, Edward B. Ripley, Zachary C. Nienstedt, Alex W. Nienstedt, Layton N. Howell, Jr.
  • Pressure sensor
    Patent number: 9146168
    Abstract: Disclosed is a passive, in-situ pressure sensor. The sensor includes a sensing element having a ferromagnetic metal and a tension inducing mechanism coupled to the ferromagnetic metal. The tension inducing mechanism is operable to change a tensile stress upon the ferromagnetic metal based on a change in pressure in the sensing element. Changes in pressure are detected based on changes in the magnetic switching characteristics of the ferromagnetic metal when subjected to an alternating magnetic field caused by the change in the tensile stress. The sensing element is embeddable in a closed system for detecting pressure changes without the need for any penetrations of the system for power or data acquisition by detecting changes in the magnetic switching characteristics of the ferromagnetic metal caused by the tensile stress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC
    Inventors: David K. Mee, Edward B. Ripley, Zachary C. Nienstedt, Alex W. Nienstedt, Layton N. Howell, Jr.