Device, Arrangement, and Method for Measuring a Current Intensity in a Primary Conductor Through which Current Flows

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016266172-A1
Application number	US-201415032103-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 29, 2014
Priority date	Nov 15, 2013
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

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

1 - 15 . (canceled)

16 . An apparatus for measuring a current intensity in a primary conductor through which current flows and which generates a primary magnetic field, the apparatus comprising:
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.

17 . The apparatus according to claim 16 , further comprising a hard-magnetic element, the hard-magnetic element at least partially surrounding the primary conductor and/or the magnetic field-generating element.

18 . The apparatus according to claim 17 , 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.

19 . The apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the hard-magnetic element is U-shaped.

20 . The apparatus according to claim 19 , 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.

21 . The apparatus according to claim 17 , 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.

22 . The apparatus according to claim 17 , 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.

23 . The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the magnetic field angle-sensitive element has two Hall elements.

24 . The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the magnetic field angle-sensitive element has an AMR bridge, GMR bridge and/or TMR bridge.

25 . The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the magnetic field angle-sensitive element has a spin-valve GMR bridge and/or a spin-valve TMR bridge.

26 . The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the magnetic field-generating element has a permanent magnet.

27 . The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the magnetic field-generating element has a coil.

28 . The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the magnetic field angle-sensitive element is arranged within the magnetic field-generating element.

29 . An arrangement comprising:
the apparatus for measuring the current intensity according to claim 16 ; and the primary conductor are arranged in such a way that the current intensity of the current flowing through the primary conductor is measured from a result of determining the orientation of the total magnetic field in space.

30 . A method for measuring a current intensity in a primary conductor, the method comprising:
providing the primary conductor through which current flows and which generates a primary magnetic field; providing the apparatus according to claim 16 ; 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.

31 . The method according to claim 30 , further comprising varying a field strength of the reference magnetic field for adapting a measurement range of the apparatus.

32 . The method according to claim 30 , further comprising tracking the reference magnetic field using an electronics system in order to keep the measured orientation of a total magnetic field constant.

33 . The method according to claim 30 , further comprising selecting a magnitude of a field strength of the reference magnetic field in such a way that it corresponds to a field strength of the primary magnetic field at maximum current.

Assignees

• Epcos Ag

Inventors

• Ostrick Bernhard
• Dehoff Carsten

Classifications

• G01R19/0092

  Measuring current only · CPC title

• G01R15/207 Primary

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