Device, arrangement, and method for measuring a current intensity in a primary conductor through which current flows

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10018656-B2
Application number	US-201415032103-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2014
Priority date	Nov 15, 2013
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

A device, an arrangement, and a method for measuring a current intensity in a primary conductor through which current flows are disclosed. In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a magnetic field-generating element configured to generate a reference magnetic field; and a magnetic field angle-sensitive element configured to measure an orientation of a total magnetic field, the total magnetic field is produced by overlapping of the primary magnetic field and the reference magnetic field in space, wherein the primary magnetic field and the reference magnetic field are not parallel to one another at a location of the magnetic field angle-sensitive element, and wherein the current intensity of the current flowing through the primary conductor is determinable from the orientation of the total magnetic field in space.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for measuring a current intensity in a primary conductor, the method comprising:
providing the primary conductor configured to generate a primary magnetic field;
providing an apparatus for measuring the current intensity in the primary conductor, wherein the apparatus includes a magnetic field-generating element configured to generate a reference magnetic field and a magnetic field angle-sensitive element configured to measure an orientation of a total magnetic field, and wherein the apparatus is configured to determine the current intensity of a current flowing through the primary conductor when the primary magnetic field and the reference magnetic field are not parallel to one another at a location of the magnetic field angle-sensitive element;
arranging the apparatus in relation to the primary conductor in such a way that the magnetic field angle-sensitive element measures the orientation of the total magnetic field, which is produced by overlapping of the primary magnetic field and the reference magnetic field in space, wherein the primary magnetic field and the reference magnetic field are not parallel to one another at the location of the magnetic field angle-sensitive element; and
determining the current intensity of the current flowing through the primary conductor from the orientation of the total magnetic field in space, wherein a magnitude of a field strength of the reference magnetic field is set to a value corresponding to a magnitude of a field strength of the primary magnetic field at maximum current.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a hard-magnetic element, and wherein the hard-magnetic element at least partially surrounds the primary conductor and/or the magnetic field-generating element.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the hard-magnetic element at least partially surrounds the magnetic field-generating element and the magnetic field angle-sensitive element, the hard-magnetic element configured to shield external magnetic fields.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the hard-magnetic element is U-shaped.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the hard-magnetic element is arranged in relation to the primary conductor such that the hard-magnetic element and the primary conductor surrounds the magnetic field-generating element and the magnetic field angle-sensitive element.

6. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the hard-magnetic element comprises two opposed limbs having exposed ends and a part which connects the two limbs, and wherein the exposed ends are arranged directly adjacent to the primary conductor.

7. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the hard-magnetic element is in the form of a toroidal core with an air gap, wherein the toroidal core at least partially surrounds the primary conductor, and wherein the magnetic field angle-sensitive element is arranged in the air gap.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field angle-sensitive element comprises two Hall elements.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field angle-sensitive element comprises an AMR bridge, GMR bridge and/or TMR bridge.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field angle-sensitive element comprises a spin-valve GMR bridge and/or a spin-valve TMR bridge.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field-generating element comprises a permanent magnet.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field-generating element comprises a coil.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field angle-sensitive element is arranged within the magnetic field-generating element.

Assignees

• Epcos Ag

Inventors

• Ostrick Bernhard
• Dehoff Carsten

Classifications

• G01R15/207 Primary

  Constructional details independent of the type of device used · CPC title

• G01R19/0092

  Measuring current only · CPC title