NON-INTRUSIVE ELECTRICAL CURRENT DETECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD
A non-intrusive electrical current detector system and method is disclosed. In one example, the system includes a magnetic field sensing device and a controller. The system provides a user with a way to monitor the running status of an electrical device, without the need to make electrical connections or separating conductors in a multi-conductor cable.
1 . A non-intrusive electrical current detector comprising:
a housing positionable about a multi-conductor cable; and
a multiple magnetic field sensing device located in the housing that senses a magnetic field any time an electrical current is present in the multi-conductor cable.
2 . The detector of claim 1 comprising:
wherein the housing includes a notch suitable for containing the multi-conductor cable.
3 . The detector of claim 2 comprising:
a mechanism for holding the multi-conductor cable within the notch.
4 . The detector of claim 1 , comprising where the multiple magnetic field sensing device is a multiple axis magnetic field sensing device.
5 . The detector of claim 4 , where the multiple axis magnetic field sensor comprises more than one single axis magnetic field sensors.
6 . The detector of claim 4 , where the multiple axis magnetic field sensor includes a single sensor that is a multiple axis magnetic field sensor.
7 . The detector of claim 6 , where the multiple axis magnetic field sensor is a 3 axis magnetic field sensor.
8 . The detector of claim 4 , comprising a printed circuit board positioned in the housing adjacent the notch, where the multiple magnetic field sensing device is positioned on the printed circuit board.
9 . The detector of claim 1 , where the magnetic sensor is a hall effect magnetic sensor.
10 . A non-intrusive electrical current detection system comprising:
a multiple magnetic field sensing device positionable about a multi-conductor cable that senses a magnetic field any time an electrical current is present in the multi-conductor cable, and provides an output signal representative of the sensed electrical curent; and
a controller in communication with the multiple magnetic field sensing device that receives the output signal.
11 . The system of claim 10 , comprising:
a housing, where the multiple magnetic field sensing device and the controller are located in the housing.
12 . The system of claim 10 , comprising a visual display that provides a visual indication representative of an amount of time current is present in the cable.
13 . The system of claim 10 , comprising:
a wireless communication link associated with the controller for communication with a control system remote from the non-intrusive current detection system.
14 . The system of claim 13 , where the wireless communication link is a Bluetooth communication link.
15 . The detector of claim 10 , comprising where the multiple magnetic field sensing device is a multiple axis magnetic field sensing device.
16 . The detector of claim 15 , where the multiple axis magnetic field sensing device comprises more than one single axis magnetic field sensors.
17 . The detector of claim 15 , where the multiple axis magnetic field sensing device includes a single sensor that is a multiple axis magnetic field sensor.
18 . The detector of claim 17 , where the multiple axis magnetic field sensor is a 2 or 3 axis magnetic field sensor.
19 . A pump monitoring system comprising:
a multi-conductor cable extending between a power source and an electric device;
a multiple magnetic field sensing device positionable about the multi-conductor cable that senses a magnetic field any time an electrical current is present in the multi-conductor cable, and provides an output signal representative of the sensed electrical current; and
a controller in communication with the multiple magnetic field sensing device that receives the output signal.
20 . The system of claim 19 , where the multiple axis magnetic field sensing device comprises more than one single axis magnetic field sensors.
21 . The system of claim 19 , where the multiple axis magnetic field sensing device includes a single sensor that is a multiple axis magnetic field sensor.
22 . The system of claim 19 , where the electric device is a pump.
23 . The system of claim 19 , the controller comprising a wireless communication link for transmitting a signal to a location remote from the electrical device that is representative of the run time of the electrical device
24 . A method of monitoring an electrical device comprising:
providing a non-intrusive electrical current detector, the non-intrusive electrical current detector comprising a multiple axis magnetic field sensing device;
positioning the non-intrusive electrical current detector at any location along a multiconductor cable between a power source and an electrical device; and
using the non-intrusive electrical current detector to monitor a presence of current flow to the electrical device.