Compensation current sensor

• US 6,788,046 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2002
• Issued: 09/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vacuumschmelze GmbH & Company KG (Vectra Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Vacuumschmelze GmbH & Company KG (Vectra Corp.)
• Inventors: Schäfer, Stefan, Lenhard, Friedrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuneo, Kamand
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Jimmy
• Application Number:
  US10/182,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20030160601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 324/765, 324/117.H, 324/117.R, 324/158.1, 324/126, 324/127, 324/251, 324/252, 324/115, 324/522, 324/547, 338/32.H, 330/8, 307/416
• US Class Current: 324/117.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/185 with compensation or feedback windings or interacting coils, e.g. 0-flux sensors using galvano-magnetic field sensors G01R15/20; conversion of DC into AC using transductors G01R19/20

Abstract

The invention relates to a compensation current sensor, comprising a magnet core (M4), with a first section around which a secondary winding (S4) is wound. A magnetic field probe (MS4) is arranged in the vicinity of the secondary winding (S4). A primary winding is magnetically coupled with the secondary winding (S4). A metal screen (A4) is provided at a distance from the magnet core (M4). On the plane, on which the magnet core (M4) lies, the shield (A4) surrounds the magnet core (M4), with the exception of a side opening, whereby part of the opening is in the vicinity of the magnetic field probe (MS4) and arranged and configured such that magnetic flux which passes through the shield (A4), partially passes through the magnetic field probe (MS4).

Claims

1. A compensation current sensor in which the magnetic field, generated in a magnet core by a primary winding through which flows the current to be measured, is compensated by the compensation current in a secondary winding, wherein, to control the compensation current, at least one magnetic field probe affected by the magnetic field and located in the area of the secondary winding records deviations from zero flux and supplies this measured value via an evaluation circuit to an amplifier arrangement to generate the compensation current while, at the output of the amplifier arrangement, the secondary winding is connected in series to a terminating resistor so that a voltage proportional to the current to be measured is present at the terminating resistor wherein means are provided which couple a part of the magnetic flux of the primary winding, said magnetic flux not coupled into the magnet core, into the compensation apparatus formed by the secondary winding and magnetic field probe and simultaneously back-couple the magnetic leakage flux of the secondary winding into the compensation apparatus and that the core cross-section of the magnet core is greater in a first section located in the area of the compensation apparatus than in a second section of the magnet core.

2. The compensation current sensor according to claim 1 wherein a metallic shield is provided which encircles the magnet core, lies in a plane with the magnet vote, and has an opening in the area of the compensation apparatus so that the part of the magnetic flux of the primary winding is coupled into the compensation apparatus formed by the secondary winding and magnetic field probe end simultaneously the magnetic leakage flux of the secondary winding is back-coupled into the compensation apparatus.

3. The compensation current sensor according to claim 2 wherein the shield is U-shaped and that the opening of the shield extends along the entire first section.

4. The compensation current sensor according to claim 2 wherein the shield has the form of an open cylinder with a base and that the opening of the shield extends along the entire first section.

5. The compensation current sensor according to claim 1 wherein the primary winding is guided around the secondary winding and is electrically insulated from the secondary winding.