DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DETECTING THE IRON CORE SATURATION OF A RESISTANCE SPOT WELDING TRANSFORMER UTILISING MEASUREMENT OF THE PRIMARY CURRENT OF THE TRANSFORMER

A device and a procedure is presented for saturation detection of a welding transformer's iron core that solves the technical problem of the saturation detection of the welding transformers' iron cores by utilising measurement of the primary current of the transformer. The existing solutions are based on the incorporation of additional sensors hence the device's structure is modified. Amongst other consequences, these modifications may alter the properties of the device, increase its complexity, increase the production costs and reduce the robustness of the entire welding system. The presented technical problem is solved in an effective and inexpensive way that is based on an analysis of the measured primary current of the welding transformer. Using utilisation of the proposed solutions, additional sensors arc unnecessary as measurement of the primary current is needed in any case due to other reasons, such as control of the welding current, protecaion, diagnostics, etc. In this way, the additional components within the welding systems arc unnecessary. Therefore, all negative effects and aspects of usage of these components involving additional sensors and auxiliary devices for the saturation detection of thc magnetic cores of the welding transformers are avoided.