Module - V

Electrical Measurements

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Electrical instruments measure the various electrical quantities like
electrical power factor, power, voltage and current etc. All analog
electrical instruments use mechanical system for the measurement of
various electrical quantities but as we know that the all mechanical
system has some inertia therefore electrical instruments have a limited
time response. Electrical instruments are broadly classified into two
types as follows.

1. Absolute instruments give the quantity to be measured in terms of

instrument constant and its deflection. Such instruments do not require
comparison with other instruments.
 
2. Secondary instruments give deflection that gives the magnitude of
electrical quantity to be measured directly. These instruments need to
be calibrated with standard instruments.

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Measuring instruments can be classified based on use as:

(i) Indicating : These are instruments that give indication of flow of

current or presence of e.m.f. with respect to specified standards.

Example: galvanometer.

(ii) Integrating : These instruments give a sum of readings over a time

period.

Example : Energy meter.

(iii) Recording : These instruments record the instantaneous values of

a quantity to be reproduced at a later stage.

Example: Electro cardio gram.

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Types of measuring instrument based on moving part:

(a) Moving coil:

They are further of two types:
(i) Permanent magnet moving coil,
(ii) Dynamometer type.

(b) Moving Iron:

They are of further two types:
(i) Attraction type,
(ii) Repulsion type.

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 Measuring instruments are classified according to both the
quantity measured by the instrument and the principle of operation.
Three general principles of operation are available:

(i) electromagnetic, which utilizes the magnetic effects of electric

currents;
(ii) electrostatic, which utilizes the forces between electrically-
charged conductors;
(iii)electro-thermic, which utilizes the heating effect.

Electric measuring instruments and meters are used to indicate

directly the value of current, voltage, power or energy.

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The various effects that can be utilized for operating the measuring
instruments are,

1. Magnetic effect - for ammeters and voltmeters usually.

2. Electrodynamic effect - for ammeters and voltmeters usually.

3. Electromagnetic effect - for ammeters, voltmeters, wattmeters and

watthour meters.

4. Thermal effect - for ammeters and voltmeters.

5. Chemical effect - for d.c. ampere-hour meters.

6. Electrostatic effect - for voltmeters only.

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Essentials of Indicating Instruments

Indicating instruments
are those which indicate
the value of the quantity
that is being measured
at the time at which it is
measured. Such
instruments consist
essentially of a pointer
which moves over a
calibrated scale and
which is attached to a
moving system pivoted
in jewelled bearings.

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In indicating instruments, the moving system is subjected to the
following three torques :
1. A deflecting (or operating) torque
2. A controlling (or restoring) torque
3. A damping torque.

1. Deflecting Torque: This deflecting torque causes the moving system

(and hence the pointer attached to it) to move from its ‘zero’
position i.e. its position when the instrument is disconnected from the
supply.

2. Controlling Torque: This torque opposes the deflecting torque and

increases with the deflection of the moving system. The pointer is
brought to rest at a position where the two opposing torques are
equal.
Without such at torque, the pointer would swing over to the
maximum deflected position irrespective of the magnitude of the
current to be measured.
Moreover, in the absence of a restoring torque, the pointer once
deflected, would not return to its zero position on removing the
current.
The controlling or restoring or balancing torque in indicating
instruments is obtained either by a spring or by gravity control.
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3. Damping Torque: A damping force is one which acts on the moving
system of the instrument only when it is moving and always opposes
its motion.
Stabilizing or damping force is required to bring the pointer to
rest quickly, otherwise due to inertia of the moving system, the pointer
will oscillate about its final deflected position for quite some time before
coming to rest in the steady position.

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 Permanent Magnet Moving Coil Instruments
Permanent Magnet moving coil instruments are based on the
principle that current carrying conductor placed in a magnetic field
experiences a force. They work on electromagnetic effect.
Permanent magnet moving coil instruments have a light rectangular coil
wound on a metal frame which is pivoted between two poles of
permanent magnet. The coil has a cylindrical soft iron core which helps in
providing uniform magnetic field. Two phosphor bronze springs cooled in
opposite direction serve as leads for current. The moving spindle is
pivoted in jeweled bearing. Construction is shown in diagram:

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Dynamometer type instruments have two identical coils connected
in series and produce a uniform magnetic field which exerts a force on
light moving coil. Two control springs wound in opposite direction serve
as leads for current. Damping is provided by air friction. The
construction is as shown in fig.

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 MOVING IRON INSTRUMENTS

Different components of a moving-iron instrument are given below.

• Moving element:
a small piece of soft iron in the form of a vane or rod
• Coil:
to produce the magnetic field due to current flowing through it
and also to magnetize the iron pieces.
• In repulsion type,
a fixed vane or rod is also used and magnetized with the same
polarity.
• Control torque
is provided by spring or weight (gravity)
• Damping torque
is normally pneumatic, the damping device consisting of an air
chamber and a moving vane attached to the instrument spindle.
• Deflecting torque
produces a movement on an aluminum pointer over a graduated
scale.

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 Repulsion type
The sectional view and cut-away view of such an instrument are
shown in Fig. It consists of a fixed coil inside which are placed two soft-
iron rods (or bars) A and B parallel to one another and along the axis of
the coil. One of them i.e. A is fixed and the other B which is movable
carries a pointer that moves over a calibrated scale.
When the current to be measured is passed through the fixed
coil, it sets up its own magnetic field which magnetises the two rods
similarly i.e. the adjacent points on the lengths of the rods will have the
same magnetic polarity. Hence, they repel each other with the result
that the pointer is deflected against the controlling torque of a spring or
gravity. The force of repulsion is approximately proportional to the
square of the current passing through the coil. Moreover, whatever may
be the direction of the current through the coil, the two rods will be
magnetised similarly and hence will repel each other. In order to achieve
uniformity of scale, two tongue-shaped strips of iron are used instead of
two rods. As shown in Fig, the fixed iron consists of a tongue-shaped
sheet iron bent into a cylindrical form, the moving iron also consists of
another sheet of iron and is so mounted as to move parallel to the fixed
iron and towards its narrower end.

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Deflecting Torque
The deflecting torque is due to the repulsive force between the
two similarly magnetised iron rods or sheets.

Since the polarity of both iron rods reverses simultaneously, the

instrument can be used both for a.c. and d.c. circuits i.e. instrument
belongs to the unpolarised class.

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 Attraction Type
The basic working principle of an attraction-type moving-iron instrument
is illustrated in Fig. It is well-known that if a piece of an unmagnetised
soft iron is brought up near either of the two ends of a current-carrying
coil, it would be attracted into the coil in the same way as it would be
attracted by the pole of a bar magnet. Hence, if we pivot an oval-shaped
disc of soft iron on a spindle between bearings near the coil (as shown in
Fig.), the iron disc will swing into the coil when the latter has an electric
current passing through it. As the field strength would be strongest at the
centre of the coil, the ovalshaped iron disc is pivoted in such a way that
the greatest bulk of iron moves into the centre of the coil. If a pointer is
fixed to the spindle carrying the disc, then the passage of current through
the coil will cause the pointer to deflect. The amount of deflection
produced would be greater when the current producing the magnetic field
is greater. Another point worth noting is that whatever the direction of
current through the coil, the iron disc would always be
magnetised in such a way that it is pulled inwards. Hence, such
instruments can be used both for direct as well as alternating currents.
A sectional view of the actual instrument is shown in Fig.. When the
current to be measured is passed through the coil or solenoid, a magnetic
field is produced, which attracts the eccentrically mounted disc inwards,
thereby deflecting the pointer, which moves over a calibrated scale.
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Ammeters and voltmeters

1. Moving-iron type (both for D.C./A.C.)

(a) the attraction type
(b) the repulsion type

2. Moving-coil type
(a) permanent-magnet type (for D.C. only)
(b) electrodynamic or dynamometer type (for D.C./A.C.)

3. Hot-wire type (both for D.C./A.C.)

4. Induction type (for A.C. only)

(a) Split-phase type
(b) Shaded-pole type

5. Electrostatic type-for voltmeters only (for D.C./A.C.)

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Wattmeter

6. Dynamometer type (both for D.C./A.C.),

7. Induction type (for A.C. only)

8. Electrostatic type (for D.C. only)

Energy Meters

9. Electrolytic type (for D.C. only)

10. Motor Meters

(i) Mercury Motor Meter. For d.c. work only. Can be used as
amp-hour or watt-hour meter.
(ii) Commutator Motor Meter. Used on D.C./A.C. Can be used
as Ah or Wh meter.
(iii) Induction type. For A.C. only.

11. Clock meters (as Wh-meters).

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 Measurement of power in three-phase systems

(i) One-wattmeter method for a balanced load

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(ii) Two-wattmeter method for balanced or unbalanced loads

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 The power factor may be determined from:

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Proof:

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 Phase angle between Vab and Ia = 30˚+ θ

-Vbn
Vcn Vab

120˚
30˚
-120˚ θ
-120˚ Van
Ia

Vbn

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 Phase angle between Vcb and Ic = 30˚- θ

Vcb

30˚- θ
30˚
Ic -Vbn
Vcn
θ

120˚

-120˚
-120˚ Van

Vbn

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Similarly, we can show that the average power read by wattmeter 2 is

Shows that the sum of the wattmeter readings gives the total average
power,

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shows that the difference of the wattmeter readings is proportional to
the total reactive power, or

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the total apparent power can be obtained as

Thus, the two wattmeter method not only provides the total real and
reactive powers, it can also be used to compute the power factor.

we conclude that:

1. If P2 = P1, the load is resistive.

2. If P2 > P1, the load is inductive.
3. If P2 < P1, the load is capacitive.

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Sl No Phase angle Φ p.f. Remarks

W1 and W2 are equal and positive. Load is

1 0° 1 purely resistive

2 0° - 60° 1- 0.5 W1 and W2 are positive and unequal

W1 is positive and One of the wattmeter

3 60°  0.5
W2= 0 reads zero

 
Purely inductive or
W1 is positive  and capacitive. Readings
4 60° - 90° 0.5 - 0
W2 is negative are unequal and
opposite in sign
 

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(iii) Three-wattmeter method for a three-phase, 4-wire system
for balanced and unbalanced loads.

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