US 12,482,599 B2
Core assemblies for magnetic saturation detector without requirement for bias current
William M. Polivka, Campbell, CA (US); and Fatemeh-Sohila Hamdad, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to POWER INTEGRATIONS, INC., San Jose, CA (US)
Appl. No. 17/622,178
Filed by POWER INTEGRATIONS, INC., San Jose, CA (US)
PCT Filed Aug. 17, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/046621
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 22, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/034746, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 25, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/888,194, filed on Aug. 16, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0359117 A1, Nov. 10, 2022
Int. Cl. H01F 27/28 (2006.01); G01R 33/12 (2006.01); H01F 27/24 (2006.01); H01F 27/30 (2006.01); H01F 27/40 (2006.01)
CPC H01F 27/402 (2013.01) [G01R 33/1215 (2013.01); H01F 27/24 (2013.01); H01F 27/306 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A magnetic saturation detector comprising:
a magnetic core assembly comprising:
a core assembly comprising,
a lower core piece having a center section, and
an upper core piece having a center section, the center section of the upper core piece aligned to the center section of the lower core piece such that a center post of the core assembly is formed; and
a power winding, wrapped around the center post, wherein when a current is passed through the power winding a power flux density vector is generated, wherein the power flux density vector has a transverse component and a non-transverse component, and wherein the transverse component has a higher magnetic reluctance than the non-transverse component;
a transverse winding, perpendicular to the power winding, wherein transverse components from the magnetic core assembly produce a transverse voltage waveform on the transverse winding; and
a voltage detection circuit, configured to receive the transverse voltage waveform and to detect a change in the sign of the slope of the transverse voltage waveform, wherein the change in the sign of the slope indicates magnetic saturation.