An Inexpensive Wiegand-Sensor-Based Rotary Encoder Without Rotating Magnets for Use in Electrical Drives

IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, vol. 72, pp. 1–10

Abstract

This article introduces an inexpensive Wiegand-sensor-based rotary encoder that avoids rotating magnets and is suitable for electrical-drive applications. So far, Wiegand-sensor-based encoders usually include a magnetic pole wheel with rotating permanent magnets. These encoders combine the disadvantages of an increased magnet demand and a limited maximal speed due to the centripetal force acting on the rotating magnets. The proposed approach reduces the total demand for permanent magnets drastically. Moreover, the rotating part is manufactured from a single piece of steel, which makes it very robust and cheap. This work presents the theoretical operating principle of the proposed approach and validates its benefits on a hardware prototype. The presented proof-of-concept prototype achieves a mechanical resolution of 4.5° by using only four permanent magnets, two Wiegand sensors, and a rotating steel gear wheel with 20 teeth.

Authors 4

1. Paul Kowalewski Aachen Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA)

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

2. Michael Bragard Aachen Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology

   FH Aachen

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, FH Aachen - University of Applied Science, Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

3. Felix Hüning Aachen Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology

   FH Aachen

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, FH Aachen - University of Applied Science, Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

4. Rik W. De Doncker Aachen Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA)

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany