Rectangular Array Electric Current Transducer with Integrated Fluxgate Sensors

Sensors (Basel). 2019 Nov 14;19(22):4964. doi: 10.3390/s19224964.

Abstract

Novel rectangular yokeless current transducer with the range 400 A using 16 microfluxgate sensors around the busbar conductor is presented in this paper. Compared to yokeless transducers utilizing the differential pair of magnetic sensors, our solution has much better suppression of the external currents (lower crosstalk). Compared to industrial transducers with yoke, the new transducer has 15-times lower noise, 7-times better temperature stability, and same crosstalk. Sensor design and design of current monitoring system is presented together with the results of long-term field tests. Crosstalk error is examined in dependence on the number of the operating sensors and external current position.

Keywords: circular sensor array; current sensor; finite element modelling; microfluxgate sensors.