Different Types Of Current Sensors Used For Measuring Current

June 21, 2020November 17, 2022 CS Electrical And Electronics

Hello guys, welcome back to our blog. Here in this article, I will be discussing the different types of current sensors used for measuring current, what is the purpose of using, and which is the best current sensor to use.

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Types Of Current Sensors

Current sensors are one type of sensing device, as we all know that the sensor is used for measuring the changes in particular parameters as well as this current sensor is used to measure the changes in the values of the current of the particular appliances or commercial components. These current sensors are designed in different types such as analog, digital and wireless, according to the type of asset these are chosen as the sensing device. These current sensors will continuously monitor the current values of the machine or appliances in different applications.

When there are any changes in the current values hence the sensor will send a signal to the next process. The sensor will notify when the low current and high current issues take place because the low current will cause the operating issues and the high current will lead to the burning of the particular machine or appliance.

Hence the sensor will sense the changes in the current and alerts the maintenance team to identify the fault condition and recover the machine from the faulty condition, that’s why it is also called the detection agent in other words. Current sensors are also used to detect the changes in the current by using the voltage drop.

There are mainly two types of voltage sensors which are wireless tools used for the detection of changes in voltage across any particular components and send an alert or signal to the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS), hence the predictive maintenance action can be performed. There are mainly two types of current sensors named as the direct and indirect current sensors.

The direct current sensor works on the principle of ohm’s law and the indirect current sensor works on the principle of ampere’s law and faraday’s law of electromagnetic induction. The direct current main focuses on the voltage drop at the passive elements of the electrical circuits. The current passing through the passive elements will be sensed using the direct current sensors.

The indirect sensors are used to measure the magnetic field around the conductor then the magnetic field is taken as proportional to the voltage or current which will be later transformed into the required control systems for the measurements.

The current sensors are used to measure both AC and DC currents which use different current sensing techniques at the time of measurement. These sensors involve particular techniques when the component is required in the particular. The major advantage for the current sensors is that the conductors or electrical appliances which carry the current will generate the magnetic field.

That magnetic field will be used by the current sensors for detecting the changes in the electrical current flowing through the particular appliance either in the household or industrial. The major techniques used in the current sensors at the time of measuring time are the Hall effect, magneto resistive, and inductive technologies. The hall effect is the most selling technique sensors in the electrical market.

Hall Effect Current Sensors

The Hall effect is caused when the core is affected by the potential difference when the magnetic field is applied and the direction of the magnetic field is perpendicular to the current flowing in the core. The hall effect current sensor mainly consists of the core, the hall effect device, and the circuit for the sensing operation.

The sensor starts operating when the machine will be passed through the magnetic field and that will increase the magnetic concentration of the machine’s magnetic field. The hall device is mounted at 90 degrees to the magnetic field. Hence the constant current excites the hall device which can be used for the current measurement. That change in the current will increase the change in the magnetic field and the potential difference is processed into the signal and it will be used for the sensing of the current in the appliances.

Inductive Current Sensors

Inductive sensors are mostly used for measuring the ac currents. The inductive current sensors use the core for measuring the current by taking the magnetic field into the consideration. The core used in the current sensors is placed where the current should be measured and it mainly consists of wire wound winding and the signal conditioner. When it is placed through the current-carrying conductor hence it will get energized by the current-carrying conductor.

This will produce the magnetic field in the core of the inductive current sensor. Because of the induced magnetic field in the core, the current will be constantly changing and the values will be changing from the positive to negative values then the continuous changes in the magnetic field will lead to the current generation in the windings of the current inductive sensor. This current induction in the sensor at the wire-wound windings will be used by the signal conditioner and the output current is considered as the detected current in the inductive current sensor.

Magneto Resistive Current Sensor

The magneto resistive current sensor works on the principle of magneto resistive effect is the certain property of some materials which change their resistance values in the magnetic field applied to the component. The resistance of the magnetic field will decide the current sensing operation of the elements. If the current passes through the longer distances then the resistance also increases hence then resistance values will be changed. The resistance change is taken as an output for the magneto resistive sensor.

The above are the different types of current sensors and the sensing techniques used in the market for the different applications with the respective assets. The current sensor is mainly used for the over current and the under current detection and the protection as these are the most occurring faults in the different types of electrical appliances.

The current sensors consider the different types of the current values for the detection but they will consider the average current as of the major function and then the current sensing will become easy. The inductive sensors and the hall effect sensors are the most used current sensors compared to the magneto resistive sensors. The hall effect sensor tops the table as the most used current sensor for different applications.

This was about “Types Of Current Sensors“. I hope this article may help you all a lot. Thank you for reading.

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