Unit 3.3 PDF

MEASUREMENT OF THREE PHASE POWER
Power measurement in an AC circuit is measured with the help of a Wattmeter. A

Wattmeter is an instrument which consists of two coils called Current
coil and Potential coil. The current coil having low resistance is connected in series
with the load so that it carries the load current. The potential coil having the resistance
is connected across the load and carries the current proportional to the potential
difference.
For measuring the power in a 3 phase or Poly Phase system, more than one wattmeter
is required, or more than one readings are made by one wattmeter. If more than one
wattmeter is connected for the measurement, the process becomes convenient and
easy to work with instead of taking various readings with one wattmeter.
THREE-WATTMETER METHOD
Three Wattmeter method is employed to measure power in a 3 phase, 4 wire system.
However, this method can also be employed in a 3 phase, 3 wire delta connected load,
where power consumed by each load is required to be determined separately.
The connections for star connected loads for measuring power by three wattmeter
method is shown below.
The pressure coil of all the three wattmeter’s namely W1, W2 and W3 are connected to
a common terminal known as the neutral point. The product of the phase current and
line voltage represents as phase power and is recorded by individual wattmeter.
The total power in a three wattmeter method of power measurement is given by the
algebraic sum of the readings of three wattmeter’s i.e.
Where,
W1 = V1I1 W2 = V2I2 W3 = V3I3
Except for 3 phase, 4 wire unbalanced load, 3 phase power can be measured by using
only Two Wattmeter Method.
Measuring Instruments by Shivam Gupta

TWO WATTMETER METHOD
Two Wattmeter Method can be employed to measure the power in a 3 phase, three
wire star or delta connected the balanced or unbalanced load. In Two wattmeter
method the current coils of the wattmeter are connected with any two lines, say R and
Y and the potential coil of each wattmeter is joined on the same line, the third line i.e.
B as shown below in figure (A).
The total instantaneous power absorbed by the three loads Z1, Z2 and Z3, are equal to
the sum of the powers measured by the Two wattmeters, W1 and W2.
Measurement of Power by Two Wattmeter Method in Star Connection

Considering the above figure (A) in which Two Wattmeter W1 and W2 are connected,
the instantaneous current through the current coil of Wattmeter, W1 is given by the
equation shown below.
Instantaneous potential difference across the potential coil of Wattmeter, W1 is given

as
Instantaneous power measured by the Wattmeter, W1 is
The instantaneous current through the current coil of Wattmeter, W2 is given by the
equation

Instantaneous potential difference across the potential coil of Wattmeter, W2 is given
as
Instantaneous power measured by the Wattmeter, W2 is
Therefore, the Total Power Measured by the Two Wattmeter’s W1 and W2 will be
obtained by adding the equation (1) and (2).
Where P – the total power absorbed in the three loads at any instant.
Measurement of Power by Two Wattmeter Method in Delta Connection

Considering the delta connected circuit shown in the figure below.
The instantaneous current through the coil of the Wattmeter, W1 is given by the
equation
Instantaneous Power measured by the Wattmeter, W1 will be

Therefore, the instantaneous power measured by the Wattmeter, W1 will be given as
The instantaneous current through the current coil of the Wattmeter, W2 is given as
The instantaneous potential difference across the potential coil of Wattmeter, W2 is
Therefore, the instantaneous power measured by Wattmeter, W2 will be
Hence, to obtain the total power measured by the Two Wattmeter the two equations,
i.e. equation (3) and (4) has to be added.
Where P is the total power absorbed in the three loads at any instant.
The power measured by the Two Wattmeter at any instant is the instantaneous power
absorbed by the three loads connected in three phases. In fact, this power is the
average power drawn by the load since the Wattmeter reads the average power
because of the inertia of their moving system.
Determination of Power Factor from Wattmeter Readings
The Two Wattmeter Method is explained, taking an example of a balanced load. In

this, we have to prove that the power measured by the Two Wattmeter i.e. the sum of
the two wattmeter readings is equal to root 3 times of the phase voltage and line
voltage (√3VLIL Cosϕ) which is the actual power consumed in a 3 phase balanced
load.

The connection diagram of a 3 phase balanced load connected as Star Connection is
shown below.
The load is considered as an inductive load, and thus, the phasor diagram of the
inductive load is drawn below.
The three voltages VRN, VYN and VBN, are displaced by an angle of 120 degrees
electrical as shown in the phasor diagram. The phase currents lag behind their
respective phase voltages by an angle ϕ.
Now, the current flowing through the current coil of the Wattmeter, W1 will be given
as
Potential difference across the pressure or potential coil of the Wattmeter, W1will be

To obtain the value of VRB, reverse the VBN and add it to the VRN as shown in the
phasor diagram above. The phase difference between VRB and IR is (30⁰ - ϕ).
Therefore, the power measured by the Wattmeter, W1 is
Current through the current coil of the Wattmeter, W2 is given as
Potential difference across the Wattmeter, W2 is
The phase difference VYB and IY is (30⁰ + ϕ).

Therefore, the power measured by the Wattmeter, W2 is given by the equation shown
below.
Since, the load is in balanced condition, hence,
Therefore, the wattmeter readings will be
Now, the sum of two Wattmeter readings will be given as

The above equation (1) gives the total power absorbed by a 3 phase balanced load.
Thus, the sum of the readings of the two wattmeters is equal to the power absorbed in
a 3 phase balanced load.
Now,
Dividing equation (3) by equation (2) we get,
Power factor of the load is given as

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MEASUREMENT OF THREE PHASE POWER

Power measurement in an AC circuit is measured with the help of a Wattmeter. A

Measuring Instruments by Shivam Gupta

Measurement of Power by Two Wattmeter Method in Star Connection

Instantaneous potential difference across the potential coil of Wattmeter, W1 is given

Instantaneous power measured by the Wattmeter, W1 is

Measuring Instruments by Shivam Gupta

Instantaneous power measured by the Wattmeter, W2 is

Measurement of Power by Two Wattmeter Method in Delta Connection

Instantaneous Power measured by the Wattmeter, W1 will be

Measuring Instruments by Shivam Gupta

The instantaneous potential difference across the potential coil of Wattmeter, W2 is

Therefore, the instantaneous power measured by Wattmeter, W2 will be

Determination of Power Factor from Wattmeter Readings

The Two Wattmeter Method is explained, taking an example of a balanced load. In

Measuring Instruments by Shivam Gupta

Measuring Instruments by Shivam Gupta

Current through the current coil of the Wattmeter, W2 is given as

Potential difference across the Wattmeter, W2 is

The phase difference VYB and IY is (30⁰ + ϕ).

Since, the load is in balanced condition, hence,

Therefore, the wattmeter readings will be

Now, the sum of two Wattmeter readings will be given as

Measuring Instruments by Shivam Gupta

Dividing equation (3) by equation (2) we get,

Power factor of the load is given as

Measuring Instruments by Shivam Gupta

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