Open-Core Optical Current Transducer: Modeling and Experiment

Optical current transducers (OCTs) have clear advantages over conventional current transformers. To better understand the OCT performance, a basic OCT model is developed using finite-element analysis. To model an open-core OCT, the Faraday rotation and detection is implemented in the COMSOL Multiphysics. This paper introduces two experimental setups, which can be used for studying OCT performances under ac and dc excitations. The measured data agree with simulation results and validate the proposed model. The presented model can be developed to study different nonideal effects, in order to identify and mitigate noise sources in OCTs.