Explosion-Proof Magnetic Transducer Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Explosion-proof encoders for environments with potentially explosive atmospheres are complex and expensive due to the need for thick casings to manage heat dissipation from electronics, which hinders their operation due to increased wall thickness interfering with the sensor-rotor distance.
Innovation Solution
Separating the low-power magnetic sensor from the electronics and using a thin casing with a low power absorption and feeding voltage, allowing compliance with ATEX norms and enabling self-certification for intrinsic protection, thus reducing costs and complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If thick casings with appropriate volume are used to comply with explosion-proof requirements, then safety is improved, but the distance between sensor and rotor increases excessively, degrading measurement precision
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into two separate units: a magnetic sensor unit with low power consumption that can be placed close to the rotor, and an electronics unit with high power consumption that is housed in the explosion-proof casing. This segmentation allows the sensor to operate at optimal distance while the electronics comply with explosion-proof requirements through thick casings.
Solution Approach 2:
The high power-consuming electronics are extracted from the sensor housing and placed in a separate explosion-proof electronics unit. Only the low power-consuming magnetic sensor remains in the proximity of the rotor, eliminating the conflict between explosion-proof casing thickness and sensor-rotor distance requirements.
2Reliability
If thick casings with sealed joints are used to meet explosion-proof norms, then protection against explosive atmospheres is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into two separate units: a magnetic sensor unit with low power consumption that can be placed close to the rotor, and an electronics unit with high power consumption that is housed in the explosion-proof casing. This segmentation allows the sensor to operate at optimal distance while the electronics comply with explosion-proof requirements through thick casings.
3Device complexity
If electronics for signal amplification are integrated in the sensor device, then device integration is improved, but power absorption and heat dissipation increase, requiring larger explosion-proof casings
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into two separate units: a magnetic sensor unit with low power consumption that can be placed close to the rotor, and an electronics unit with high power consumption that is housed in the explosion-proof casing. This segmentation allows the sensor to operate at optimal distance while the electronics comply with explosion-proof requirements through thick casings.
Solution Approach 2:
The high power-consuming electronics are extracted from the sensor housing and placed in a separate explosion-proof electronics unit. Only the low power-consuming magnetic sensor remains in the proximity of the rotor, eliminating the conflict between explosion-proof casing thickness and sensor-rotor distance requirements.
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4~5
AI summary
Explosion-proof magnetic transducer (11) comprising a magnetic unit (13), a sensor unit (15) and an electronic control unit (17), wherein the magnetic unit (13) is associatable to a body moving circularly or rectilinearly or according to a combination of these movements, wherein the sensor unit (15) comprises a detector device (19) capable of causing the variation of at least one electrical quantity in an electric signal passing through said device, upon variation of a magnetic flux in a surrounding magnetic field, wherein the electronic control unit (17) comprises an amplifier (21) of the amplitude of said electric signal, wherein when the transducer (11) is working the electric power absorbed by said sensor unit (15) is lower than the one absorbed by said electric control unit (17) and wherein said sensor unit (15) and said control unit (17) are separate from each other and are connected by an electric cable (23).