I'm considering building an energy monitor based on the Open Energy Monitor design for the purposes of determining power dissipation of some computers in a cabinet. The power information would then be used in a feed-forward control system to predict how much cooling effort is required - as opposed to a feed-back control system where the system waits for it to get too hot before applying more cooling effort.
For my requirements I think I need good resolution up to 4 A (about 1000 W) so I was considering using a more suitable CT than the usually recommended 30 A CTs. At the moment I'm looking at an AC1005 5A current transformer <http://www.amveco.com/pdf/AC1005.pdf>. Do you think this can be made to work with the Open Energy Monitor design given appropriate adjustments to the value of the burden resistor? I realise I need to break into the mains circuit to do that since this isn't a clip-on CT, but I'm perfectly comfortable with mains voltage work.
Alternatively, does anybody have experience with using a current transformer such as the SCT-013-030 which is good for up to 30 A, but with multiple turns on the primary in order to increase sensitivity. By looping the primary through six times can I use the SCT-013-030 as a 0 to 5 A transformer rather than a 0 to 30 A transformer?
Thanks,
Rob
Re: Achieving good precision with currents of less than 5 A
Hi Rob,
Sounds like an interesting project. You are already thinking along the right lines, you will get better precision using a CT designed for lower power levels.
Have you seen this page: http://openenergymonitor.org/emon/node/156 ? The calculations at the bottom of the page runs through the process of calculating a value for the burden resistor depending on how many turns the CT has an over what range you wish to measure.
The AC1005 CT should work fine. The SCT-013-030 CT has actually got a built in burden resistor and gives a voltage output. See datasheet here: http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/noninvasive-ac-current-sensor-30a-max-p-519.html?cPath=144_154.
Hope this is helpful, let us know how you get on
All the best, Glyn.