Flexible Circuit Rogowski Coil for Adaptable Current Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional Rogowski coils with toroidal or rectangular shapes are not practical for all applications due to their inflexible design, which prevents them from fitting or conforming to certain measurement needs.
Innovation Solution
A flexible circuit Rogowski coil is developed, comprising a multi-layer structure with conductive traces on both sides of a flexible substrate, forming a serpentine pattern that can be wrapped around conductors to measure current, allowing for a more adaptable and practical current measurement solution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a traditional toroidal or rectangular Rogowski coil is used, then the coil structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the device cannot conform to various shapes and is limited in application scenarios
Solution Approach 1:
The Rogowski coil is segmented into multiple conductive traces arranged in a serpentine pattern on a flexible substrate, allowing the coil to be divided into manageable sections that can bend and conform to different shapes while maintaining electrical continuity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a flexible substrate (such as flexible PCB) to support the conductive traces, enabling the coil to bend and adapt to various geometries without compromising structural integrity or electrical performance
2Adaptability or versatility
If a flexible circuit Rogowski coil with serpentine pattern is used, then the device can conform to various shapes and applications, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The serpentine pattern parameters (trace width, spacing, number of windings) can be adjusted during the PCB design phase to optimize the coil's inductance and measurement range, allowing customization for different applications while using standard manufacturing processes
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible circuit board technology used in this Rogowski coil is a well-established, multi-purpose manufacturing platform that can produce various coil configurations using the same base process, reducing overall manufacturing complexity
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 flexible design enables precise measurement of current by inducing a voltage proportional to the current's rate of change, providing an output signal that is proportional to the conductor's current, and can be configured to fit various shapes by bending into cylindrical forms.
Implementation Method 1
Since the voltage that is induced in the coil is proportional to the rate of change (the derivative) of the current in the conductor
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible circuit current measuring apparatus includes a flexible substrate member having a top side and a bottom side, a plurality of first conductive traces disposed on the top side of the flexible substrate member and spaced along a length of the flexible substrate member, and a plurality of second conductive traces disposed on the bottom side of the flexible substrate member and spaced along the length of the flexible substrate member. The first conductive traces and the second conducive traces are electrically connected to one another to form a serpentine pattern having a number of windings about and along the flexible substrate member, and the current measuring apparatus is structured to be wrapped around a conductor for measuring a current carried by the conductor.