Rogowski coil
The
Rogowski coil is an
electrical device for measuring
alternating current (AC) or high speed current pulses. It consists of a
helical coil of
wire with the
lead from one end returning through the centre of the coil to the other end, so that both
terminals are at the same end of the coil. The whole assembly is then wrapped around the straight
conductor whose current is to be measured. Since the
voltage that is induced in the coil is proportional to the rate of change (
derivative) of current in the straight conductor, the output of the Rogowski coil is usually connected to an electrical (or electronic)
integrator circuit in order to provide an output signal that is proportional to current.
One advantage of a Rogowski coil over other types of
current transformers is that it can be made open-ended and flexible, allowing it to be wrapped around a live conductor without disturbing it. Since a Rogowski coil has an air core rather than an
iron core, it has a low
inductance and can respond to fast-changing currents. Also, because it has no iron core to saturate, it is highly linear even when subjected to large currents, such as those used in
electric power transmission,
welding, or
pulsed power applications. A correctly formed Rogowski coil, with equally spaced windings, is largely immune to
electromagnetic interference.
A device similar to the Rogowski coil was described by A.P. Chattock of
Bristol University, ("On a magnetic potentiometer",
Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science, vol. XXIV, no. 5th Series, pp. 94–96, Jul-Dec
1887). Chattock used it to measure
magnetic fields rather than currents. The definitive description was given by W. Rogowski and W. Steinhaus in "Die Messung der magnetischen Spannung",
Archiv für Elektrotechnik, 1912, 1, Pt.4, pp.141-150.
*
Current*
List of electronics topics*
Pulsed power*
Miniature Wideband Current Probe sensor using this principle
