Rogowski Coil Sensor Dielectric Enclosure for Current Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing current sensor devices in utility meters, such as transformer and Rogowski coils, are either bulky and expensive or provide limited accuracy, especially during low and high current conditions, requiring multiple calibration processes that increase manufacturing time and cost.
Innovation Solution
A Rogowski coil sensor device with a dielectric material having a dielectric constant of at least 3.5 is used to enclose the coil, positioning it between the coil and the conductor, reducing capacitance and improving accuracy across a range of currents and voltages, thereby simplifying calibration and reducing manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a Rogowski coil is used to sense current, then the device size is reduced compared to transformer sensors, but measurement precision deteriorates during low and high current conditions
Solution Approach 1:
A dielectric material with dielectric constant of at least 3.5 is positioned between the Rogowski coil and the conductor to reduce parasitic capacitance effects. This intermediary material mediates the electromagnetic interaction, improving measurement precision across the full current range while maintaining the compact Rogowski coil structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the electrical parameters of the sensing system by introducing a dielectric material with specific dielectric constant (≥3.5). This parameter change reduces the parasitic capacitance between the coil and conductor, thereby improving measurement accuracy without increasing device volume.
2Measurement precision
If multiple calibration processes are performed to improve accuracy, then measurement precision improves, but productivity decreases due to increased manufacturing time
Solution Approach 1:
The dielectric material is pre-installed between the Rogowski coil and conductor during manufacturing, establishing optimal electrical characteristics before the sensing operation begins. This preliminary action eliminates the need for multiple post-assembly calibration processes, maintaining high precision while improving productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The dielectric material structure provides self-calibration functionality by inherently reducing parasitic capacitance effects. The physical configuration itself performs the correction that would otherwise require multiple manual calibration processes, achieving both high precision and manufacturing efficiency.
3Measurement precision
If a dielectric material with dielectric constant of at least 3.5 is positioned between the Rogowski coil and conductor, then measurement precision improves across different current conditions, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dielectric material is implemented as a thin film or layer positioned between the coil and conductor. This thin-film approach provides the necessary electrical isolation and capacitance reduction while adding minimal structural complexity and maintaining a compact overall device design.
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 improved accuracy and reduced calibration requirements, allowing for consistent current sensing across different operating voltages and currents, resulting in cost savings and faster manufacturing times while maintaining high accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
reducing capacitance and improving accuracy across a range of currents and voltages
Implementation Method 2
a dielectric material having a dielectric constant of at least 3.5 is used to enclose the coil, positioning it between the coil and the conductor
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3~4
AI summary
Sensor devices and related methods disclosed. One example sensor device (12) includes a Rogowski coil (104) defining an aperture (110) and a dielectric material (108) at least partially enclosing the Rogowski coil. The dielectric material has a dielectric constant of at least about 3.5. The dielectric material is configured such that, when a conductor (14) is at least partially inserted within the aperture, at least a portion of the dielectric material is positioned between the Rogowski coil and the conductor.