Lecture 7

Electrical Measurement and

Instrumentation
 Electrodynamometers in Power
Measurements
• The electrodynamometer movement is used extensively in measuring
power.
• Indicates both dc and ac power for any waveform of voltage and current
– it is not restricted to sinusoidal waveforms.
• The fixed coils, or field coils, shown here as two separate elements, are
connected in series and carry the total line current (ic).
• The movable coil, located in the magnetic field of the fixed coils, is
connected in series with a current- limiting resistor across the power line
and carries a small current (ip).
• The instantaneous value of the current in the movable coil is
ip = e/Rp

where e is the instantaneous voltage across the power line, and Rp is the
total resistance of the movable coil and its series resistor.
Electrodynamometers in power
measurements
 Electrodynamometers In Power
Measurements
• The deflection of the movable coil is proportional to the
product of these two currents, ic and ip, and we can write for
the average deflection over one period:
• 1 T
 av  K  ic i p dt (4-28)
T 0

• where θav = average angular deflection of the coil

• K = instrument constant
• ic = instantaneous current in the field coils
• ip = instantaneous current in the potential coil
• Assuming for the moment that ic is equal to the load current,
i (actually, ic = ip + i), and using the value for ip = e/Rp, we
see that Eq. (4-28) reduces to
1T e T 1
T 0 R p T 0
• θ av  K i dt  K 2 ei dt (4-29)
 Electrodynamometers In Power
Measurements
• By definition, the avenge power in a circuit is

• 1 T (4-30)
Pav 
T 0
ei dt

• which indicates that the electrodynamometer movement, connected in the

configuration shown in Fig, has a deflection proportional to the average
power.
• If e and i are sinusoidally varying quantities of the form e = Em sin wt and
i = Im sin (wt ± θ), Eq. (4-29) reduces to

θav = K3EI cos θ (4-31)

• where E and I represent the rms values of the voltage and the current, and θ
represents the phase angle between voltage and current.
• Wattmeters have one voltage terminal and one current terminal marked “±.“
• When the marked current terminal is connected to the incoming line, and
the marked voltage terminal is connected to the line side in which the
current coil is connected, the meter will always read up-scale when power
is connected to the load.
 Electrodynamometers In Power
Measurements
• The electrodynamometer wattmeter consumes some power for
maintenance of its magnetic field.
• For a correct reading of the load power, the current coil should
carry exactly the load current, and the potential coil should be
connected across the load terminals.
• With the potential coil connected to point A, as in Fig. 4-36,
the load voltage is properly metered, but the current through
the field coils is greater by the amount ip
 Electrodynamometers connections for
Power Measurements
• Choice of the correct connection depends on the
situation.
• Generally, connection of the potential coil at point A
is preferred for high-current, low-voltage loads;
connection at B is preferred for low current, high-
voltage loads.
• The difficulty in placing the connection of the
potential coil is overcome in the compensated
wattmeter, shown in the following Figure.
Electrodynamometers in Power
Measurements
 Electrodynamometers In Power
Measurements
• The current coil consists of two windings, each winding
having the same number of turns.
• One winding uses heavy wire that carries the load current plus
the current for the potential coil.
• The other winding uses thin wire and carries only the current
to the potential coil.
• This current, however, is in a direction opposite to the current
in the heavy winding, causing a flux that opposes the main
flux.
• The effect of ip is therefore canceled out, and the wattmeter
indicates the correct power.
 Watthour Meter
• The watthour meter is not often found in a laboratory
situation but it is widely used for the commercial
measurement of electrical energy.
• It is extensively used at
– Houses
– Institutes
– Industries
– Power Generation/Distribution Stations
Watthour Meter
Watthour Meter
 Watthour Meter
• The current coil is connected in series with the line,
and the voltage coil is connected across the line.
• Both coils are wound on a metal frame of special
design, providing two magnetic circuits.
• A light aluminum disk is suspended in the air gap of
the current-coil field, which causes eddy currents to
flow in the disk.
• The reaction of the eddy currents and the field of the
voltage coil creates a torque (motor action) on the
disk, causing it to rotate.
 Watthour Meter
• The developed torque is proportional to the field strength of
the voltage coil and the eddy currents in the disk
– which in turn is a function of the field strength of the current coil.
• The number of rotations of the disk is therefore proportional to
the energy consumed by the load in a certain time interval, and
is measured in terms of kilowatthours (kWh).
– 1 KWh is called one energy unit
• The shaft that supports the aluminum disk is connected by a
gear arrangement to the clock mechanism on the front of the
meter, providing a decimally calibrated readout of the number
of kWh.
• Damping of the disk is provided by two small permanent
magnets located opposite each other at the rim of the disk.
 Watthour Meter
• Whenever the disk rotates, the permanent magnets induce
eddy currents in it.
• These eddy currents react with the magnetic fields of the small
permanent magnets, damping the motion of the disk.
• Calibration of the watthour meter is performed under
conditions of full rated load and 10 percent of rated load.
• At full load, the calibration consists pf adjustment of the
position of the small permanent magnets until the meter reads
correctly.
• At very light loads, the voltage component of the field
produces a torque that is not directly proportional to the load.
 Watthour Meter
• Compensation for the error is provided by inserting a shading
coil or plate over a portion of the voltage coil, with the meter
operating at 10 percent of rated load.
• Calibration of the meter at these two positions usually provides
satisfactory readings at all other loads.
• Measurements of energy in three-phase systems are performed
with poly phase watthour meters.
• Each phase of the watthour meter has its own magnetic circuit
and its own disk, but all the disks are mounted on a common
shaft.
• The developed torque on each disk is mechanically summed
• the total number of revolutions per minute of the shaft is
proportional to the total three-phase energy consumed.
Thank you