Current sensor for electric machine control

• US 7,456,616 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2006
• Issued: 11/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BorgWarner Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Remy Technologies LLC (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bradfield, Michael D., Harmon, Jack D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ponomarenko; Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US11/498,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20070029992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 290/40.R, 290/41, 290/40.B, 322/27, 322/28, 322/37, 322/22, 322/21, 322/25, 323/222, 323/282
• US Class Current: 322/27
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/04 Housings; Supporting members; Arrangements of terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/203 Resistors used for electric measuring, e.g. decade resistors standards, resistors for comparators, series resistors, shunts resistors in general H01C; microwave or radiowave terminations H01P1/26; coupling devices H01R
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/202 using Hall-effect devices Hall elements in arrangements for measuring electrical power G01R21/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/0092 measuring current only all subgroups of G01R19/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/006 on road vehicles, e.g. automobiles or trucks testing of ignition installations peculiar to internal combustion engines F02P17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/36 Arrangements for testing, measuring or monitoring the electrical condition of accumulators or electric batteries, e.g. capacity or state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/287 Intermediate parts between battery post and cable end piece
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/20 for testing or measuring purposes

Abstract

The disclosed apparatus relates to a current sensing electrical energy generation system comprising, an electric machine, a conductor electrically connected to the electric machine, and a current sensor responsive to current flow in the conductor.

Claims

1. A current sensing electrical energy generation system, comprising:

an electric machine;

a conductor in electrical communication with the electric machine;

a current sensor responsive to current flow in the conductor; and

a regulator disposed at the electric machine having current control circuitry to which the current sensor is electrically connected.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the current sensor is of the Hall effect type.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the current sensor is of the sense resistor type.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the current sensor is of the current transformer type.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the electric machine is an alternator.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the conductor is a wire connected to an output of the alternator.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the current sensor is attached to the wire.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the conductor is a B+ stud connected to an output of the alternator.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the current sensor is integral with the regulator.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein a B+ stud of the alternator extends through an annular portion of the regulator.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the current control circuitry is microprocessor type circuitry.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the current control circuitry modifies operating conditions of the electric machine in response to information obtainable from the current sensor.