Sensors

• US 20140125321A1
• Filed: 06/27/2012
• Published: 05/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sentec Ltd. (Xylem, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sentec Ltd. (Xylem, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dames, Andrew Nicholas, Colby, Edward, Storkey, Matthew Emmanuel, Meanwell, Hilary
• Granted Patent: US 9,684,016 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/127
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/181 using coils without a magnetic core, e.g. Rogowski coils
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/186 using current transformers with a core consisting of two or more parts, e.g. clamp-on type G01R15/142 - G01R15/16 take precedence; tong testers G01R1/22

Abstract

A current sensor comprises a first component comprising plural coils. Each coil comprises one or more turns printed on at least one planar surface of a respective substrate, and the planes of the coils are parallel to one another and are perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first component. A second component comprises soft magnetic material and has first and second planar faces that are at opposite ends of the first component and are arranged perpendicularly to and are intersected by the longitudinal axis of the first component.

Claims

1. A sensor comprising:

a first component comprising plural coils, wherein;

each coil comprises one or more turns printed on at least one planar surface of a respective substrate, and

the planes of the coils are parallel to one another and are perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first component; and

a second component comprising soft magnetic material and having first and second planar faces that are at opposite ends of the first component and are arranged perpendicularly to and are intersected by the longitudinal axis of the first component.

2. A sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein a separation between adjacent coils is approximately the same for all coils of the first component.

3. A sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coils of the first component each include the same number of turns and have the same area on the substrate.

4. A sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second component comprises a U-shaped soft magnetic component and wherein the first and second faces are parallel faces within the mouth of the U.

5. A sensor as claimed in claim 4, wherein the second component is separable from the first component so as to allow a conductor to be introduced into the U before the second component is placed within the mouth of the U of the second component.

6. A sensor as claimed in claim 4, wherein a separation between adjacent coils is approximately the same for all coils of the first component and wherein a separation between a coil closest to the first end and the first contact face is substantially equal to a separation between a coil closest to the second end and the second contact face and is equal or approximately equal to half of the separation between adjacent coils.

7. A sensor as claimed in claim 6, wherein the second component is separable from the first component so as to allow a conductor to be introduced into the U before the second component is placed within the mouth of the U of the second component and wherein the sensor comprises means for causing the second component to be maintained within the mouth of the U of the second component.

8. A sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second component also includes a third component comprising plural coils, wherein:

each coil of the third component comprises one or more turns printed on at least one planar surface of a respective substrate, and the coils of the third component are parallel to one another and lie on a longitudinal axis of the third component; and

wherein the second component comprises third and fourth planar faces that are arranged perpendicularly to and are intersected by the longitudinal axis of the third component.

9. A sensor as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second component comprises first and second I-shaped components, the first I-shaped component including the first and third faces and the second I-shaped component including the second and fourth faces.

10. A sensor as claimed in claim 9, wherein a separation between adjacent coils is approximately the same for all coils of the first and third components and wherein a separation between a coil closest to the first end of the first component and the first face is the same as a separation between a coil closest to the second end of the first component and the second face, which is the same a separation between a coil closest to the first end of the third component and the third face and is the same as a separation between a coil closest to the second end of the third component and the fourth face, and is approximately half the separation between adjacent coils.

11. A sensor as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second component comprises one or more further components each including plural coils, wherein:

each coil of each further component comprises one or more turns printed on at least one planar surface of a respective substrate, and the coils of each further component are parallel to one another and lie on a longitudinal axis of the further component.

12. A sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein adjacent substrates are mechanically separated by spacers, and/or wherein an end substrate in the first component is separated from the first component by a spacer.

14. A sensor as claimed claim 1, comprising a circuit board configured to connect the coils in a circuit.

15. A sensor as claimed claim 1, comprising one or more shielding components configured to at least partially surround the first component and, if present, the third component.

16. A sensor as claimed claim 1, comprising a current-carrying conductor extending through a central portion of the sensor.

17. A sensor as claimed claim 1, wherein the soft magnetic material is a ferrite.

18. A sensor as claimed in claim 1, each coil comprises one or more turns printed on at least two parallel surfaces of a respective substrate.

19. A sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first component comprises first and second coils printed respectively on first and second parallel surfaces of a first substrate.

20. A sensor as claimed in claim 18, wherein the second component also includes a third component comprising third and fourth coils printed on first and second parallel surfaces of a second substrate respectively, wherein the coils of the third component are parallel to one another and lie on a longitudinal axis of the third component;

and wherein the second component comprises third and fourth planar faces that are arranged perpendicularly to and are intersected by the longitudinal axis of the third component, and optionally wherein the first and second substrates are of the same thickness and wherein a separation the third coil and the fourth component is the same as a separation between the first coil and the second component.

22. A sensor as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first and third components are formed of a single multilayer printed circuit board having formed therein a slot or cutaway configured to receive a conductor.

13. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

23. (canceled)