A computerised on-line power loss testing system for the steel industry, based on the RCP compensation technique

The design and development of a novel, nonenwrapping power loss testing system which can be used to grade electrical steels directly on the production line has been described. The developed system incorporates the use of Rogowski Chattock Potentiometer (RCP) coils. These coils function as a zero field potential indicator between two defined points along the measuring region of a single specimen of electrical steel, hence making the surface magnetic field proportional to the magnetising current. This enables the field component necessary for power loss measurement to be obtained from the magnetising current which is more convenient in an on-line situation. The developed system has been fully computerised and it is shown that under static laboratory conditions the system correlates well with a deviation of only 2.5% from venues obtained using the current standard, the Epstein Frame. The effect of strip motion on the measurements has also been investigated and discussed to understand how the system will perform on the actual production line.