Application Note: MagBlue flux gate sensors
AC and DC Residual Current Detection
Description: This document introduces flux-gate sensing techniques that can be
implemented using MagBlue series products.
Version Date Purpose / Change description Autor
0.1 24.05.2023 Created N. L. Figueroa
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Description Features
The MagBlue mounted core series are an - Fluxgate sensitive elements for sensing
excellent choice as the sensitive element AC & DC currents.
in fluxgate sensors that can measure AC
and DC residual currents at the mA level. - Nanocrystalline core with high
permeability and temperature stability.
These sensors are at the heart of residual
current devices (RCDs) that switch-off - Integrating windings, for sensing, testing,
equipment when residual currents above and calibrating.
a threshold are detected. This prevents
fatal shocks, equipment damage and - Slit NiFe alloy shielding suppresses
fires. external fields.
The fluxgate sensors in these RCDs work by - Different casing variants and PCB
measuring the response of a magnetic footprints.
core: the core is periodically driven
in-and-out of saturation in alternating
directions. Any residual current will create
a measurable offset in this behavior. Applications
The magnetic properties of the nano- - AC/DC current sensing.
crystalline core material of the MagBlue
series have been tailored for optimal - Safety devices.
sensing capabilities.
Additionally, MagBlue units come with Fault current sensing in on-board
integrated windings and inside a slit-shield chargers, wall boxes, etc.
that protects the core from external
magnetic fields. The shielding is critical in
preventing the unnecessary triggering of
safety measures, that could otherwise
happen from environmental noise and in-
rush currents.
Many different designs and PCB-footprints
are available for the MagBlue. It can be
mounted in a wide array of applications,
vertically or horizontally.
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1| Key Specifications
All the components in the MagBlue series have the same magnetic core
inside, the M-1670. The properties for this core are listed below.
Magnetic Core (M-1670)
Parameter Value
Outer diameter 32.2 mm (max)
Inner diameter 23.4 mm (min)
Height 7.2 mm (max)
Core material NANOPERM®
Effective length, Lfe 8.71 cm
Effective cross section, Afe 0.071 cm2
Permeability (@50 Hz) 230000
AL-Value (@50 Hz, 106 mA) 15.0 µH (min) to 28.8 µH (max)
AL-Value (@50 Hz, 182 mA) 18.2 µH (min) to 35.5 µH (max)
Casing material PA66 GF25
Fixation Silicone-based adhesive
The cores are wound and housed in a magnetic shield, the MagBlue series
have different outer dimensions/PCB footprints, but the same magnetic
characteristics:
MagBlue Mounted Cores
Parameter Value
Wire diameter 0.14 mm
Sensing windings, N1, N2 100 turns
Sensing inductance, L1, L2 (@25°C) 175 mH (min) to 300 mH (max)
Sensing resistance, R1, R2 (@25°C) 2.2 (min) to 3.0 (max) Ω
Test winding, N3 20 turns
High voltage strength 500 V (type test)
Ambient/storage temperature -40°C to +85°C
Magnetic Shield 50/50 NiFe alloy, 0.35 mm thick
Pin size 0.64 mm, square
Fig. 1- Circuit schematic of the windings in the MagBlue series Fig. 2 Exploded view of the MagBlue sensor MB-676
products. L1, L2: sensing/driving windings; L3: testing.
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2| Working Principles
2.1| Residual Currents
Fault currents are a hazard that can lead to fatal shocks, equipment
damage and fires. These currents occur from the failure or deterioration of
insulating material, which can happen in many different parts of an electrical
system. A common safety measure is to monitor that the current going into
the system is coming out through the intended path.
Fig. 3 Under normal conditions the total currents going in the system is zero.
A fault current changes that, generating a magnetic field along the magnetic core.
This can be achieved by threading all the lines going into the equipment
through a magnetic core as shown in Fig. 3. When a fault current is present,
the total current going into the system is different than the current coming
out, this leads to a net magnetic field going through the entire core,
magnetizing it in a determined direction. This effect can be measured using
the techniques outlined in Section 3.
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2.2| Magnetic Saturation
When a soft magnetic material is magnetized, microscopic magnetic
moments align with the external field. As the material is magnetized it
becomes harder to magnetize it further, as there are progressively less free
magnetic moments. In the limit of a very strong magnetic field, all the
magnetic moments are aligned, and increasing the field will not result in an
increase of magnetization.
Fig. 4 B-H Curve for a magnetically soft material
This saturating behavior of magnetic materials makes inductors with
saturating cores have a non-linear, current-dependent inductivity.
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3| Fluxgate sensor designs
Fluxgate sensors work by periodically driving a soft-magnetic core in-and-out
of saturation in alternating directions. If there is another field, other than the
one that is being applied, it will create an offset in the saturation behavior that
can be measured.
Fig. 5 Some common arrangements for fluxgate sensors.
There are many kinds of sensors that can be built using this fluxgate principle.
And endless schemes: with open/closed loop configurations, with different
compensation schemes, some even using several cores. Here, we lay out
some of the basic principles, and present some of the most common
methods fluxgate sensors operate with.
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3.1| Phase-delay fluxgate sensor
The voltage-step response of a saturable inductor is shown in Fig. 6. At the
beginning there is a large inductance so the current builds up slowly.
However, when the current reaches a threshold, the core becomes
saturated, and its inductivity is greatly reduced. Then, the current in the
inductor builds up fast, eventually reaching the DC level of V/R.
Fig. 6 The step response of a saturable core, the current builds up slowly at first because of the large inductance. At a
critical current the inductance drops, and the current builds up quickly.
The time between the voltage step and the current spike depends on the
external field. If the external field is working against the field generated by the
current, a stronger current (and longer time) will be needed to reach
saturation. If the external field is working with the field, saturation is reached
sooner.
Fig. 7 The delay between the voltage step and reaching the critical current depends on the external current flowing
through the core.
A simple circuit that exploits this to measure external fields/residual currents is
shown below.
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Fig. 8 Circuit diagram of a simple fluxgate sensor that can be implemented with a hysteresis comparator (Schmitt
trigger). The effect of an external fault current can be seen in the waveforms drawn (green: Iext = 0, red: Iext ≠ 0).
At the heart of the circuit is an op-amp that drives current into a core
winding; the current in the core winding is sensed by the op-amp via the
sensing resistor Rs. When the current increases up to a certain threshold
(determined by resistances R1 and R2), the polarity of the output switches.
In effect, this creates an open-loop, self-oscillating fluxgate sensor. Because
of the effect explained above, the delay between the polarity switch and
reaching the threshold current will depend on the external magnetic field.
When there is no field, (ie. the residual current is zero), the delay is the same in
both directions, so there is an output duty cycle of 50%.
An external current will make the delays unbalanced, making the circuit
spend more time in a determined polarity, leading to a change in the duty
cycle of the output.
The PWM output of this circuit can also be changed into an analog voltage
output by proper integration and filtering.
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4| Application Examples
4.1| Usage in Wallboxes
A wallbox, in the context of electric vehicle (EV) charging applications, refers
to a dedicated device installed on a wall to provide a safe and convenient
charging point for electric vehicles. Wallboxes offer faster charging speeds
compared to standard power outlets, and can be easily installed in homes,
parking garages, workplaces, and other locations where EV charging
infrastructure is required.
Wallboxes are essential for convenient and safe EV charging: they ensure the
proper management of the electrical power supply and protect against
potential hazards.
For this reason, the IET Wiring Regulations statei that it is required to design into
all electric charging station protective measures against DC fault currents. In
this context, RCDs are essential components that monitor and detect
electrical imbalances in wallboxes, providing an essential layer of protection
against electric shock hazards.
Fig. 9 RCDs with MagBlue sensors are an essential component
in any wallbox to ensure safe EV charging.
i 18th Edition Section 722.531.2.101(since 01 Jan 2019).
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