Hybrid Current Sensor Integrating Hall and Shunt Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current current sensor technologies, such as Hall and shunt sensors, have separate installation costs and volumes, which increase with reinforced safety specifications, necessitating a more integrated and cost-effective solution.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid current sensor assembly that integrates both Hall and shunt sensors, featuring a conductor, Hall sensor, shunt terminal, microprocessor, and circuit board, where the Hall core is designed to concentrate the magnetic field for improved sensitivity and the microprocessor measures current using both sensor principles, reducing overall size and production costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If both Hall sensor and shunt sensor are independently installed to meet safety specifications, then measurement reliability is improved, but production cost and product volume increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines Hall sensor and shunt sensor into a single integrated sensor unit. The Hall sensor measures magnetic field generated by current, while the shunt sensor measures voltage drop across a shunt resistance. Both measurement paths are integrated into one device with unified housing, allowing simultaneous installation of both sensor types without proportionally increasing product volume, thus maintaining measurement reliability while reducing device complexity
2Reliability
If both Hall sensor and shunt sensor are independently installed to meet safety specifications, then measurement reliability is improved, but production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates both Hall sensor and shunt sensor into a single manufactured unit with shared housing, mounting structure, and electrical connections. This unified manufacturing approach reduces assembly steps, minimizes the number of separate components to be procured and installed, and allows for more efficient production line integration, thereby reducing production costs while maintaining the reliability benefits of dual-sensor measurement
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated sensor unit serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides both Hall-based current measurement and shunt-based voltage measurement, includes unified mechanical mounting structure, and integrates electrical connection terminals. This multi-functionality in a single device reduces the overall bill of materials and simplifies the manufacturing process compared to installing two separate sensor devices
3Measurement precision
If Hall core is designed to concentrate magnetic field, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The Hall core is designed with non-uniform magnetic permeability distribution, featuring higher permeability in specific regions to concentrate and guide magnetic flux toward the Hall sensor's active measurement area. This localized magnetic field concentration enhances the magnetic field strength at the sensor position, improving measurement precision without requiring a complete redesign of the entire magnetic circuit structure, thus limiting the increase in device 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 hybrid sensor assembly provides redundancy, low and high current range measurement, faster response times, and higher accuracy, while reducing product size and production costs by combining the advantages of both Hall and shunt sensors.
Implementation Method 1
A Hall effect refers to a physical phenomenon in which a potential difference occurs at both ends of an electrical conductor when a magnetic field is interlinked with the conductor in which an electric current flows. The potential difference induced by such a Hall effect is proportional to the interlinked magnetic field.
Implementation Method 2
the Hall core is configured such that the magnetic field is concentrated on the Hall sensor
Implementation Method 3
a shunt resistance configured to shunt the current flowing in the conductor
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
Provided is a hybrid current sensor assembly (1) ncluding a conductor (15) to be connected to both terminals of an external electronic device, a Hall core (111) to which a magnetic field generated by a current flowing in the conductor (15) is applied, a Hall sensor (112) in which a potential difference occurs at both ends thereof due to the magnetic field applied to the Hall core (111), a shunt terminal (122) configured to shunt the current flowing in the conductor (15), and a microprocessor (123) connected to the shunt terminal (122) and configured to measure the current flowing in the conductor (15).