Integrated Flux Conductor for Liquid-Cooled Current Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing current measurement technologies face challenges in accurately measuring high currents due to the need for separate components and air gaps between ferromagnetic flux conductors and electronics, which can lead to reduced integration and increased complexity in liquid-cooled power electronic systems.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus is designed where a flux conductor, potentially made of ferromagnetic material, is partially or fully disposed within a cooling channel containing a non-conductive medium, allowing for direct current measurement by evaluating electrical parameters, with the evaluation circuit and signal output located either inside or outside the channel, and optionally using wireless communication to transmit measurement data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If indirect current sensors use separate components with air gaps between ferromagnetic flux conductors and electronics, then measurement capability is achieved, but device complexity and integration are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the ferromagnetic flux conductor and the evaluation circuit into a single integrated sensor component. The evaluation circuit is positioned directly on or within the flux conductor structure, eliminating the need for separate components and air gaps. This integration maintains accurate current measurement capability while significantly reducing device complexity and improving integration level in liquid-cooled power electronic systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The evaluation circuit is nested within or directly attached to the flux conductor structure. The circuit board or evaluation electronics are positioned inside the hollow interior of the toroidal flux conductor or mounted directly on its surface, creating a compact nested arrangement that achieves high integration without compromising measurement precision.
2Device complexity
If fully integrated circuits are used for currents up to 40 amperes, then integration is maximized, but measurement capability for higher currents is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the flux conductor, specifically increasing its cross-sectional area and using high-permeability ferromagnetic materials, to enable accurate measurement of higher currents (200 amperes and more) while maintaining full integration. The flux conductor is designed with dimensions and material properties optimized for high current applications, allowing the same integrated architecture to handle a broader current range.
3Device complexity
If flux conductor is disposed in cooling channel, then integration with liquid-cooled systems is improved, but thermal management challenges increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the electronics from the direct cooling path by positioning them in a separate thermal zone or providing thermal isolation between the electronics and the liquid cooling medium. The flux conductor may be cooled indirectly through thermal conduction from adjacent cooled components, while the electronics are protected from direct liquid contact through housing or thermal barriers, thus achieving system integration without compromising thermal management.
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
This configuration enables accurate and integrated current measurement in directly cooled conductors, maintaining spatial separation and reducing complexity while allowing for efficient operation in liquid-cooled systems, such as power electronics in electric vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
current sensors which operate on the basis of Faraday's law of induction, such as a current transformer or a Rogowski coil
Implementation Method 2
by means of pure magnetic field sensors, such as a Hall sensor
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for measuring a flow of current through at least one electrical conductor of an electrotechnical device which is disposed in a cooling channel, wherein a non-conductive cooling medium flows through the cooling channel during operation of the electrotechnical apparatus, the apparatus including a flux conductor which is disposed around the at least one electrical conductor, and an evaluation circuit which is coupled to the flux conductor and is configured to determine the flow of current through the at least one electrical conductor by evaluating an electrical parameter of the flux conductor, wherein at least a part of the flux conductor is disposed in the cooling channel.