A Low-Cost Surge Current Detection Sensor with Predictive Lifetime Display Function for Maintenance of Surge...

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Electronics

Background:

• Surge protective devices (SPDs) require effective maintenance strategies.
• Accurate monitoring of surge events is crucial for assessing SPD health.
• Existing methods for high surge current detection can be costly or complex.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a low-cost surge current detection sensor (SCDS) for effective SPD maintenance.
• To develop a method for measuring high surge currents using a toroidal coil.
• To create a software algorithm for predicting the remaining lifetime of SPDs.

Main Methods:

• Design of a low-cost SCDS utilizing a toroidal coil for high surge current measurement.
• Integration of a microcontroller, LCD, and signal conditioning circuit for data processing.
• Development of a software algorithm to calculate SPD remaining lifetime based on surge amplitude and count.

Main Results:

• The proposed SCDS demonstrates low battery power consumption (7.2 μA).
• Calculated service life of the SCDS is 11.1 years.
• The system meets International Standard IEC62561-6 test conditions for lightning strike counters.

Conclusions:

• The developed SCDS provides a cost-effective solution for monitoring surge events and predicting SPD lifespan.
• The technology is suitable for maintaining various types of Class II SPDs.
• This sensor is expected to enhance the reliability of SPDs and lightning protection systems.