Hello people,
. I need to build a current limiting source .
Specs are as follow
1. 5v AC
2. 5 amps
.
So how I can limit the current without using a power resistance.

 

Assuming 5VAC is the required circuit output, what is the input voltage (some headroom will be needed for controlling current)?
What frequency?

 

It is basically a transformer which is used in my power supply 220 vac to 5vac @5amp continous

 

Well it would seem to me that with a 5 amp transformer you will have natural magnetic limiting anyway.

What is the AC load that it can't take minor momentary overload, especially since the load determines the current.?

Would not a simple 5A resettable cutout do?

 

Load is a power resistor with rating 1 milli ohms.
A cut out cant be used.

 

Load is a power resistor with rating 1 milli ohms.
A cut out cant be used.

1 milli ohm is almost like a short circuit........

What about external inductance as current limiter??
Or build a transformer with a big leakage inductance ??

 

5 milihoms with 5 vac applied will draw way more than 5 amps. there is no way to limit the current to 5 amps without reducing the voltage a lot. checkout ohms law, current equals voltage devided by resistance. 5 volts devided by .001 ohm equals 5000 amps. limiting the current to 5 amps means 5 milivolts to load.
if you put a .999 ohm resistor in series with the .001 ohm load, you would get p[retty near 5 amps through the circuit.

 

A more complete explanation of why you want to wire up this resistor to a 5 amp transformer would help.

 

Magnetic shunts is the way micro wave oven and neon sign transformers do it.

For tesla coil use I've used inductive ballast or resistor in primary to have a similar effect.

Capacitor may also work.

 

Well it would seem to me that with a 5 amp transformer you will have natural magnetic limiting anyway.
....................

The magnetic circuit does not provide current limiting in a normal power transformer. A transformer core does not saturate at high currents. Saturation is determined by the primary voltage, not current, since primary magnetic flux caused by primary current is balanced the the opposite direction flux from the secondary current. The main thing that limits transformer current is the winding resistance and the small leakage inductance.

Transformers, such as neon types, have a magnetic shunt that introduces high leakage inductance in series with the windings to limit short circuit current.

 

Saturation is determined by the primary voltage

That would imply that it is impossible to saturate a mains transformer since the mains voltage is sensibly constant, regardless of the power in the circuit.

 

and would also imply that infinate current would not saturate a transformer.

 

Hello people,
. I need to build a current limiting source .
Specs are as follow
1. 5v AC
2. 5 amps
.
So how I can limit the current without using a power resistance.

One possibility is to put the basic current regulated linear series pass transistor inside a bridge rectifier - that is to say that the current limit transistor would be directly across the + & - terminals, so if you draw the symbols on paper, the transistor is inside the square of the 4 diodes - the AC terminals are on the outside of that box, which you put in series with the load.

 

1 milli ohm is almost like a short circuit........

What about external inductance as current limiter??
Or build a transformer with a big leakage inductance ??

Its more usual to use capacitance in the form of the so called "wattless dropper".

Basically Xc of the series capacitor is very large relative to the load resistance, so changes in the AC amplitude have little effect on load current.

Doesn't seem very likely for this application though - for one thing the capacitor would be pretty big.

 

I need to measure the resistance value of a unknown resistance using a Kelvin 4wire method.
So a current limiting circuit has to be used in that setup.

 

I need to measure the resistance value of a unknown resistance using a Kelvin 4wire method.
So a current limiting circuit has to be used in that setup.

If you must measure at 5 amps, then replace your transformer with pulsed DC source operating at 1% duty cycle.

 

How is that done?

 

That would imply that it is impossible to saturate a mains transformer since the mains voltage is sensibly constant, regardless of the power in the circuit.

and would also imply that infinate current would not saturate a transformer.

True. I don't make the rules, just report them.

 

How is that done?

Probably the simplest way is a modified CMOS inverter oscillator.

Start with the timing capacitor from input to Vss, but your feedback resistor is split into 2 paths by a pair of diodes pointing opposite ways, your resistor is a preset pot that allows you to select the lowest resistance path to one or the other diodes.

 

How much accuracy is required?

An off the shelf transformer with the primary under driven limits the short circuit current.