Vehicle Battery Current Sensor With Hall Constriction Redundancy
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing current sensors for vehicle batteries are complex to design and manufacture, and there is a need for high measurement accuracy and reliability with redundant current measurement.
Innovation Solution
A current sensor for vehicle batteries uses a Hall sensor with a constriction in the electrical conductor and a second current measuring device with a measuring resistor, along with evaluation circuits that monitor and correct each other, eliminating the need for an iron core and ensuring high accuracy and reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a Hall sensor with an iron core is used to detect current, then measurement accuracy is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase due to the need for precise alignment and positioning of the iron core and Hall sensor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the iron core from the Hall sensor assembly, replacing it with a Hall sensor that directly contacts the conductor. This eliminates the complex alignment requirements between the iron core and Hall sensor while maintaining measurement accuracy through direct magnetic field detection at the conductor surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The conductor itself serves as the magnetic field source without requiring an external iron core to concentrate or guide the magnetic field. The Hall sensor directly detects the magnetic field generated by the current in the conductor, making the system self-sufficient and eliminating additional alignment components.
2Reliability
If redundant current measurement using two independent physical measurement principles is implemented, then measurement reliability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines two different measurement principles (Hall effect measurement and voltage drop measurement across a shunt resistor) into a single integrated sensor unit. This allows redundant measurement for improved reliability while simplifying manufacturing compared to using two completely separate sensor systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor design incorporates multiple measurement functions within a single device structure. The Hall sensor measures current through magnetic field detection while the shunt resistor provides voltage drop measurement, creating a multi-functional sensor that achieves redundancy without requiring separate manufacturing processes for multiple independent sensors.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a compact, easy-to-manufacture current sensor with high measurement accuracy and reliability, featuring redundant measurement principles and mutual verification of evaluation circuits to detect and correct malfunctions.
Implementation Method 1
The first current measuring device comprises a Hall sensor. In the region of the first current measuring device, the electrical conductor has a measuring section with a constriction having a reduced cross-section, wherein the Hall sensor is arranged in this constriction.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to a current sensor (10), in particular for a vehicle battery (12) in a vehicle, comprising an electrical conductor (18) having a first connection (20) and a second connection (22) for contacting a circuit (14) of a vehicle, as well as a first current measuring device (24) and a second current measuring device (25) for detecting at least one measured value for the current flowing through the electrical conductor (18), and a first evaluation circuit (40) which is connected to the first current measuring device (24) and/or the second current measuring device (25) and can receive the measured values of the first current measuring device (24) and/or the second current measuring device (25) and output a current measurement signal dependent on the measured values.wherein the first current measuring device (24) has a Hall sensor (26) and the electrical conductor (18) in the area of the first current measuring device (24) has a measuring section with a constriction (32) with a reduced cross-section, wherein the Hall sensor (26) is arranged in this constriction (32).