Processing magnetic sensor array data for AC current measurement in multiconductor systems

The continuous progress in magnetic sensor research provides increasing acc uracy in measurement systems based on magnetic sensor arrays. Many industri al applications in the field of protection for low-voltage electrical syste ms require novel technologies of ac current sensors characterized by lower costs and wider measuring range in amplitude and frequency. For this purpose, a promising solution is the utilization of sensor arrays provided with signal processing techniques. In the paper, we propose a new principle for simultaneous measurement of po lyphase currents flowing in parallel conductors of arbitrary cross-sections based on processing magnetic sensor signals. After describing the analytical solution of the measurement problem, theore tical uncertainty analysis is carried out. Preliminary experimental results confirm the validity of the new approach.