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Hall Effect in Ionized Gases: Eisthe B Is The Magnetic Field (In M

The Hall effect in plasmas differs significantly from solids, as the Hall parameter in plasmas can take any value rather than being less than 1. The Hall parameter depends on the ratio of the electron gyrofrequency to the electron-heavy particle collision frequency, and increases with magnetic field strength. This affects the trajectory of electrons and the relationship between the current and electric field vectors. Hall effect sensors are used to measure magnetic fields and detect defects in materials by sensing magnetic flux. Integrating Hall effect sensors with amplifiers allows their low output signals to be used for applications. Advantages over other sensing methods include immunity to environmental factors and non-contact sensing. Disadvantages include sensitivity to stray magnetic fields and low output requiring amplification

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48 views

Hall Effect in Ionized Gases: Eisthe B Is The Magnetic Field (In M

The Hall effect in plasmas differs significantly from solids, as the Hall parameter in plasmas can take any value rather than being less than 1. The Hall parameter depends on the ratio of the electron gyrofrequency to the electron-heavy particle collision frequency, and increases with magnetic field strength. This affects the trajectory of electrons and the relationship between the current and electric field vectors. Hall effect sensors are used to measure magnetic fields and detect defects in materials by sensing magnetic flux. Integrating Hall effect sensors with amplifiers allows their low output signals to be used for applications. Advantages over other sensing methods include immunity to environmental factors and non-contact sensing. Disadvantages include sensitivity to stray magnetic fields and low output requiring amplification

Uploaded by

Aldo Hosea
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Hall effect in ionized gases

The Hall effect in an ionized gas (plasma) is significantly different from the Hall effect in
solids (where the Hall parameter is always much less than unity). In a plasma, the Hall
parameter can take any value. The Hall parameter, β, in a plasma is the ratio between the
electron gyrofrequency, Ωe, and the electron-heavy particle collision frequency, ν:
where

 e is the elementary charge (approximately 1.6×10−19 C)


 B is the magnetic field (in teslas)
 me is the electron mass (approximately 9.1×10−31 kg).
The Hall parameter value increases with the magnetic field strength.
Physically, the trajectories of electrons are curved by the Lorentz force. Nevertheless, when
the Hall parameter is low, their motion between two encounters with heavy particles
(neutral or ion) is almost linear. But if the Hall parameter is high, the electron movements are
highly curved. The current density vector, J, is no longer collinear with the electric
field vector, E. The two vectors J and E make the Hall angle, θ, which also gives the Hall
parameter:

Applications
Hall probes are often used as magnetometers, i.e. to measure magnetic fields, or inspect
materials (such as tubing or pipelines) using the principles of magnetic flux leakage. Hall effect
devices produce a very low signal level and thus require amplification. While suitable for
laboratory instruments, the vacuum tube amplifiers available in the first half of the 20th century
were too expensive, power consuming, and unreliable for everyday applications. It was only
with the development of the low cost integrated circuit that the Hall effect sensor became
suitable for mass application. Many devices now sold as Hall effect sensors in fact contain
both the sensor as described above plus a high gain integrated circuit (IC) amplifier in a single
package. Recent advances have further added into one package an analog-to-digital converter
and I²C (Inter-integrated circuit communication protocol) IC for direct connection to a
microcontroller's I/O port.

Advantages over other methods


Hall effect devices (when appropriately packaged) are immune to dust, dirt, mud, and
water. These characteristics make Hall effect devices better for position sensing than
alternative means such as optical and electromechanical sensing. When electrons flow through
a conductor, a magnetic field is produced. Thus, it is possible to create a non-contacting current
sensor. The device has three terminals. A sensor voltage is applied across two terminals and
the third provides a voltage proportional to the current being sensed. This has several
advantages; no additional resistance (a shunt, required for the most common current sensing
method) need to be inserted in the primary circuit. Also, the voltage present on the line to be
sensed is not transmitted to the sensor, which enhances the safety of measuring equipment.

Disadvantages compared with other methods


Magnetic flux from the surroundings (such as other wires) may diminish or enhance the
field the Hall probe intends to detect, rendering the results inaccurate. Also, as Hall voltage is
often on the order of millivolts, the output from this type of sensor cannot be used to directly
drive actuators but instead must be amplified by a transistor-based circuit. Ways to measure
mechanical positions within an electromagnetic system, such as a brushless direct current
motor, include (1) the Hall effect, (2) optical position encoder (e.g., absolute and incremental
encoders) and (3) induced voltage by moving the amount of metal core inserted into a
transformer. When Hall is compared to photo-sensitive methods, it is harder to get absolute
position with Hall. Hall detection is also sensitive to stray magnetic fields.

Contemporary applications
Hall effect sensors are readily available from a number of different manufacturers, and may
be used in various sensors such as rotating speed sensors (bicycle wheels, gear-teeth,
automotive speedometers, electronic ignition systems), fluid flow sensors, current sensors, and
pressure sensors. Common applications are often found where a robust and contactless switch
or potentiometer is required. These include: electric airsoft guns, triggers of electropneumatic
paintball guns, go-cart speed controls, smart phones, and some global positioning systems.

Ferrite toroid Hall effect current transducer


Hall sensors can detect stray magnetic fields
easily, including that of Earth, so they work well
as electronic compasses: but this also means that
such stray fields can hinder accurate
measurements of small magnetic fields. To solve
this problem, Hall sensors are often integrated
with magnetic shielding of some kind. For
example, a Hall sensor integrated into a ferrite ring
(as shown) can reduce the detection of stray fields
by a factor of 100 or better (as the external
magnetic fields cancel across the ring, giving no
residual magnetic flux). This configuration also
provides an improvement in signal-to-noise ratio
and drift effects of over 20 times that of a bare Hall
device.
The range of a given feedthrough sensor may be extended upward and downward by
appropriate wiring. To extend the range to lower currents, multiple turns of the current-carrying
wire may be made through the opening, each turn adding to the sensor output the same
quantity; when the sensor is installed onto a printed circuit board, the turns can be carried out
by a staple on the board. To extend the range to higher currents, a current divider may be used.
The divider splits the current across two wires of differing widths and the thinner wire, carrying
a smaller proportion of the total current, passes through the sensor.

Split ring clamp-on sensor


A variation on the ring sensor uses a split sensor which is clamped onto the line enabling
the device to be used in temporary test equipment. If used in a permanent installation, a split
sensor allows the electric current to be tested without dismantling the existing circuit.

Analog multiplication
The output is proportional to both the applied magnetic field and the applied sensor voltage.
If the magnetic field is applied by a solenoid, the sensor output is proportional to the product
of the current through the solenoid and the sensor voltage. As most applications requiring
computation are now performed by small digital computers, the remaining useful application
is in power sensing, which combines current sensing with voltage sensing in a single Hall effect
device. Power measurement.

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