Hall-Effect Sensor Technique for No Induced Voltage in AC Magnetic Field Measurements Without Current Spinning

Accurately sensing AC magnetic field signatures poses a series of challenges to commonly used Hall-effect sensors. In particular, induced voltage and lack of high-frequency spinning methods are bottlenecks in the measurement of AC magnetic fields. We describe a magnetic field measurement technique that can be implemented in two ways: 1) the current driving the Hall-effect sensor is oscillating at the same frequency as the magnetic field, and the signal is measured at the second harmonic of the magnetic field frequency, and 2) the frequency of the driving current is preset, and the measured frequency is the magnetic field frequency plus the frequency of the current. This method has potential advantages over traditional means of measuring AC magnetic fields used in power systems (e.g., motors, inverters), as it can reduce the components needed (subsequently reducing the overall cost and size) and is not frequency bandwidth limited by current spinning. The sensing technique produces no induced voltage and results in a low offset, thus preserving accuracy and precision in measurements. Experimentally, we have shown offset voltage values between 8 and 27 μT at frequencies ranging from 100 Hz to 1 kHz, validating the potential of this technique in both cases

Hall-Effect Sensor Technique for No Induced Voltage in AC Magnetic Field Measurements Without Current Spinning

Accurately sensing AC magnetic field signatures poses a series of challenges to commonly used Hall-effect sensors. In particular, induced voltage and lack of high-frequency spinning methods are bottlenecks in the measurement of AC magnetic fields. We describe a magnetic field measurement technique that can be implemented in two ways: 1) the current driving the Hall-effect sensor is oscillating at the same frequency as the magnetic field, and the signal is measured at the second harmonic of the magnetic field frequency, and 2) the frequency of the driving current is preset, and the measured frequency is the magnetic field frequency plus the frequency of the current. This method has potential advantages over traditional means of measuring AC magnetic fields used in power systems (e.g., motors, inverters), as it can reduce the components needed (subsequently reducing the overall cost and size) and is not frequency bandwidth limited by current spinning. The sensing technique produces no induced voltage and results in a low offset, thus preserving accuracy and precision in measurements. Experimentally, we have shown offset voltage values between 8 and 27 μT at frequencies ranging from 100 Hz to 1 kHz, validating the potential of this technique in both cases

A role of cryptochrome for magnetic field-dependent improvement of sleep quality, lifespan and motor function in Drosophila

Understanding the molecular genetic basis of animal magnet reception has been one of the big challenges in biology. Recently it was discovered that the magnetic sense of Drosophila melanogaster is mediated by the ultraviolet (UV)-A/blue light photoreceptor cryptochrome (Cry). Here, using the fruit fly as a magnet receptive model organism, we show that exposure to a specific AC magnetic field during night time affected the health of the fly. AC magnetic field exposure showed lifespan extension under starvation, sleep improvement and prevention of decreased motor function. In contrast, all the health improvement effect was not observed in cryptochrome mutant flies (cryb). We showed that AC magnetic field exposure prevented motor dysfunction in Gaucher's disease model Drosophila. The data suggests that magnetic field-dependent improvement of sleep quality, lifespan and motor function is mediated through a cry-dependent pathway in animals.

A Magneto-Mechanical Piezoelectric Energy Harvester Designed to Scavenge AC Magnetic Field from Thermal Power Plant with Power-Line Cables

Piezoelectric energy harvesters have attracted much attention because they are crucial in portable industrial applications. Here, we report on a high-power device based on a magneto-mechanical piezoelectric energy harvester to scavenge the AC magnetic field from a power-line cable for industrial applications. The electrical output performance of the harvester (×4 layers) reached an output voltage of 60.8 Vmax, an output power of 215 mWmax (98 mWrms), and a power density of 94.5 mWmax/cm3 (43.5 mWrms/cm3) at an impedance matching of 5 kΩ under a magnetic field of 80 μT. The multilayer energy harvester enables high-output performance, presenting an obvious advantage given this improved level of output power. Finite element simulations were also performed to support the experimental observations. The generator was successfully used to power a wireless sensor network (WSN) for use on an IoT device composed of a temperature sensor in a thermal power station. The result shows that the magneto-mechanical piezoelectric energy harvester (MPEH) demonstrated is capable of meeting the requirements of self-powered monitoring systems under a small magnetic field, and is quite promising for use in actual industrial applications.