HVAC Measurement

Measurement of High AC Voltages
Series Impedance Voltmeter

• For power frequency ac measurements, the series impedance
may be a pure resistive or a reactance
• Series resistance involves – power losses. (Often a capacitance is

preferred as a series reactance)
• Moreover, for high resistances, the variation of resistance with

temperature is a problem
• The residual inductance of the resistance gives rise to an

impedance different from its ohmic resistance.
• High resistance units for high voltages have stray capacitances
and hence a unit resistance will have a equivalent as shown in
fig.
• For extended and large dimensioned resistors, this equivalent

circuit is not valid and each elemental resistor has to be
approximated with this equivalent circuit.
• The entire resistor unit then has to be taken as a transmission

line equivalent, for calculating effective resistance.
• Stray capacitance of each element influences the current flowing
in the unit, and the indication of the meter results in the error.
• Stray ground capacitances effect can be removed by shielding

the resistor R by a second surrounding spiral RS , which shunts
the actual resistor but does not contribute to the current
through the instrument.
• BY tuning resistor Ra , the shielding resistor and potential may

be adjusted with respect to the actual measuring resistor so
that resulting compensation currents between the shields and
the measuring resistors provide minimum phase angle.
Drawbacks
• The entire resistor unit has to be taken as a transmission line

equivalent, for calculating effective resistance
• The ground (or) stray capacitance of each element influences

the current flowing in the unit, and hence, error might be
there in measurement.
• Gaurding & tunning resistor are needed to overcome the stray

capacitance effects.
Series Capacitance Voltmeter
• Series capacitor for the high voltage
measurement
• The current Ic through the meter is

given by
• If ac voltage contains harmonics, the error due to change in
series impedance occurs.
• The rms value of voltage V with harmonics is given by
• Where V1, V2, V3, …… Vn represents the fundamental, second,

third.. and nth harmonics
• The current due to these harmonics are
• With a 10 % fifth harmonics, the current is 11.2% higher,

and hence, the error is 11.2% in the voltage equipment.
• This method not recommended when ac voltages are not
pure sinusoidal waves but contains considerable harmonics.
• In general, used with cascaded transformer, for measuring

rms values upto 100 kV.
• Series capacitance is formed as a parallel plate capacitor

between high voltage terminal of the transformer, and a
ground plate
• A rectifying ammeter was used as a measuring instrument

and calibrated in high voltage rms values.
• Range: 0-100 µA, Error: 2%

Capacitance Potential Divider
• The error due to harmonic
voltage can be eliminated by
the use of capacitive voltage
dividers with an electrostatic
voltmeter (or) high
impedance TVM meter.
• If meter is connected through

a long cable, its capacitance
has to be taken into account
in calibration.
• C1 – Compressed air (or) gas
capacitor.
Known as HV arm capacitor.
• C2 – mica / paper/ any low

loss capacitor.
Known as LV arm capacitor.
• C1 - three terminal capacitor –

connected to C2 through a
shielded cable
• C2 – completely shielded to
avoid any stray capacitance
• The applied voltage is given
by
Capacitance Voltage Transformer
• Capacitance divider with a suitable matching (or) isolating
transformer tuned for resonance conditions is often used in
power system for high voltage measurements.
• The measuring meter can be a

low impedance meter like
wattmeter pressure coil / relay
coil instead of ESV / TVM
• C1 – made of a few units of high

voltage capacitors – 100 pF
• C2 value in the ranges of nF

• A matching transformer
connected between meter M and
C2
• Transformer ratio chosen on the

basis of economic grounds.
HV winding rating – 10 to 30 kV
LV winding rating – 100 to 300 V
• The value of tuning choke L

chosen to make the equivalent
circuit purely resistive / to bring
resonance condition.
• Resonant condition
L = Inductance of the choke

L T = Equivalent inductance of
the transformer referred to HV
side
• Meter reactance Xm is neglected

• The voltage across the capacitor,
C2 is
Advantages
• Simple and easy installation
• Can be used as voltage measuring device and relaying

purpose and also as a coupling condenser for power line
carrier communication and relaying
• Frequency independent voltage distribution along elements
• Provides isolation between HV terminal and LV metering

Cascade Transformer
1800kV, 2000 KVA, Power Frequency Testing Transformer
Courtesy: CPRI High Voltage Laboratory

Cascade Transformer
1800kV, 2000 KVA, Power Frequency Testing Transformer
Courtesy: CPRI High Voltage Laboratory

Dis-advantages
• Voltage ratio is susceptible to temperature variations
• Problems of inducing ferro-resonance in power systems
Electrostatic Voltmeter
• Direct measurement of HV.
• Can measure HVAC and HVDC
• High Accuracy in HVAC measurement.
• Also known as charge meters.

Principle
• In electrostatic fields, the attractive force between the

electrodes of a parallel plate capacitor is given by
Principle
• When one of the electrode is free to move, the force on the plate
can be measured by controlling it by spring (or) balancing with a
counter weight
• For HV measurement, a small displacement of one of the electrode

by a fraction of few millimetre is usually sufficient for voltage
measurement.
• Since , the measurement can be made for AC and DC

voltages
Construction
• Electrostatic voltmeter are made

with parallel plate configuration
using guard rings to avoid corona
and field fringing at the edges
• An absolute voltmeter is made by

balancing the plate by a counter
weight and is calibrated in terms of
small weight
Construction
• Have a small capacitance (5 - 50 pF)

and high insulation resistance (R ≥
1013 Ω)
• Hence considered as devices with

high input impedance
• The control torque is provided by a

balancing weight.
• Moving disc M and Guard ring G – is

of same diameter as that of fixed
plate F.
Construction
• The cap D encloses a sensitive

balance B, one arm of which carries
the suspension of the moving disc.
• The balance beam carried a mirror

which reflects a beam of light.
• Thus the movement of the disc is

thereby magnified.
Construction
• As the spacing between the two

electrodes is large, the uniformity
of the electric field is maintained by
the guard rings H which surrounds
the space between the discs F and
M.
• The guard rings H are maintained at

a constant potential in space by a
capacitance divider ensuring a
uniform special potential
distribution.
Construction
• Some instruments – are enclosed

with structure containing
compressed air, carbon dioxide or
nitrogen.
• Gas pressure - order of 15 atm.
• Working stress – 100 kV/cm
• With compressed air, the meter is

compact and much smaller in size
The upper frequency limit for ac applications is determined
from the following considerations
• Natural frequency of the moving system
• Resonant frequency of the lead and stray inductances with

their meter capacitance.
Measurement of High AC Peak Voltages
The Chubb Fortescue Method
• Dielectric strength of the material is defined by peak value of
the voltage
• When the waveform is not sinusoidal, rms value multiplied

by √2 is not correct
Advantages of Chubb Fortescue Method
• Continuous measurement of peak value

• Consists of standard capacitor, two
diodes, and a current integrating
ammeter (moving coil or
equivalent)
• The displacement current iC (t) is

subdivided into positive and
negative components by back to
back connected diodes.
• The voltage drop across the diodes

(less than 1V for si diodes) may be
neglected for HV measurement
• The measuring instrument may be
included in one of the two
branches.
• In either case, it reads the mean of

current.
• The differences between positive and
negative peak value may be
designated as Vp-p and if both the
peak values are equal, then,
• An increased current would be

measured, if the current reaches zero
more than once during one half-
cycle. This means the waveshape of
the voltage would contain more than
one maximum per half-cylcle
• Under normal operating conditions
with ac testing, the false maxima’s
doesn’t occur.
• But pre-discharge currents within the

test circuit may cause short duration
voltage drops which may induce
errors.
• This problem can be overcome by

using a resistance R in series with
capacitor C such that CR<< (1/) for a
50 Hz application
Sources of Errors
• Frequency should be accurately known
• Effective value of capacitance should be accurately known
• Imperfect diodes (which allows small reverse current) should be

avoided
• Non-sinusoidal voltage waveforms with more than one peak

(or) maxima per half cycle

HVAC Measurement

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

HVAC Measurement

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Measurement of High AC Voltages

Series Impedance Voltmeter

• Series resistance involves – power losses. (Often a capacitance is

• Moreover, for high resistances, the variation of resistance with

• The residual inductance of the resistance gives rise to an

• For extended and large dimensioned resistors, this equivalent

• The entire resistor unit then has to be taken as a transmission

• Stray ground capacitances effect can be removed by shielding

• BY tuning resistor Ra , the shielding resistor and potential may

• The entire resistor unit has to be taken as a transmission line

• The ground (or) stray capacitance of each element influences

• Gaurding & tunning resistor are needed to overcome the stray

• The current Ic through the meter is

• The rms value of voltage V with harmonics is given by

• Where V1, V2, V3, …… Vn represents the fundamental, second,

• With a 10 % fifth harmonics, the current is 11.2% higher,

• In general, used with cascaded transformer, for measuring

• Series capacitance is formed as a parallel plate capacitor

• A rectifying ammeter was used as a measuring instrument

• Range: 0-100 µA, Error: 2%

• If meter is connected through

• C2 – mica / paper/ any low

• C1 - three terminal capacitor –

• The measuring meter can be a

• C1 – made of a few units of high

• C2 value in the ranges of nF

• Transformer ratio chosen on the

• The value of tuning choke L

L = Inductance of the choke

• Meter reactance Xm is neglected

• Simple and easy installation

• Can be used as voltage measuring device and relaying

• Frequency independent voltage distribution along elements

• Provides isolation between HV terminal and LV metering

1800kV, 2000 KVA, Power Frequency Testing Transformer

Courtesy: CPRI High Voltage Laboratory

1800kV, 2000 KVA, Power Frequency Testing Transformer

Courtesy: CPRI High Voltage Laboratory

• Voltage ratio is susceptible to temperature variations

• Problems of inducing ferro-resonance in power systems

• Can measure HVAC and HVDC

• High Accuracy in HVAC measurement.

• Also known as charge meters.

• In electrostatic fields, the attractive force between the

• For HV measurement, a small displacement of one of the electrode

• Since , the measurement can be made for AC and DC

• Electrostatic voltmeter are made

• An absolute voltmeter is made by

• Have a small capacitance (5 - 50 pF)

• Hence considered as devices with

• The control torque is provided by a

• Moving disc M and Guard ring G – is

• The cap D encloses a sensitive

• The balance beam carried a mirror

• Thus the movement of the disc is

• As the spacing between the two

• The guard rings H are maintained at

• Some instruments – are enclosed

• Gas pressure - order of 15 atm.

• Working stress – 100 kV/cm

• With compressed air, the meter is

• Natural frequency of the moving system

• Resonant frequency of the lead and stray inductances with