The flat strap sandwich shunt

The basic principle of a new shunt, the "flat strap sandwich shunt" (FSSS), which consists of a shielded very thin (to 25 /spl mu/m) flat strap resistor in the sandwich configuration, a folded flat strap resistor with many rolled together layers, and the proper four-terminal, is illustrated. With such a configuration the distribution of the current density on the strap's section is evaluated to approach that of a theoretical isolated strap. Test results on two implementation prototypes of the FSSS show that both its response time, I/sup 2/T and its frequency characteristic may be at least the same as the more advanced coaxial shunts. Moreover its construction appears much simpler and less expensive than that of the coaxial shunt. The use of the FSSS for measuring high-impulse and heavy-surge currents or continuous complex currents, as well as in thermal current converters and power transfer, is also illustrated.