A passive DC current sensing methodology

Abstract

This paper proposes a method for passive sensing a two-wire DC current without using any cord separator. In this method, a piezoelectric thin-film cantilever with a micro-magnet on its end is positioned near a power cord. The DC current in the power cord induces a magnetic field, which generates a magnetic force acting on the micro-magnet. Consequently, the piezoelectric cantilever is bent and induces an output voltage that is sensitive to small variations of DC currents. A prototype device has been fabricated and experimentally studied. It was found that the initial peak amplitude of the piezoelectric output voltage increases linearly with the DC current value upon “ON-OFF” switching. Compared to the Hall-effect based sensing, this method has the advantages of no need of driving voltage or cord separators even for two-wire appliance cords. Apart from the conventional consumer electronics, this method may have a wide application foreground in the new emerging fields, such as energy vehicles, lithium ion battery, or smart power grid.