Electrical Measurements &

Instrumentation
Electrodynamic Devices
 Electrodynamic devices
• Can measure both AC and DC quantities
• Permanent magnet is replaced by 2 fixed coil.
• The moving coil resides between the fixed coils such that the
it’s magnetic field(poles) is opposite to that of fixed coils.
• There is no iron core in coils to avoid hysteresis (a property by
virtue of which the flux density (B) of ferromagnetic material
lags behind the magnetizing force (H)).
• To increase deflection torque, moving coil must have large no
of turns.
• So it results in low torque to weight ratio, lower sensitivity
(field is weaker compared to PMCC) and greater frictional error
 Hysterisis Loop

Coersive force is value of the external

magnetic field that brings to zero the
magnetization or magnetic flux density of a
magnetic body
 Working
• When current passes through the two coils,
movable and fixed; it creates magnetic flux
• The direction of the flux is such that similar
poles are adjacent , so they repel causing
deflection of the moving coil.
• So on both directions of current, force is still in
the same direction.
 Torque Equations
• Deflection (Electromagnetic) Torque

Here M is mutual Induction

• Controlling Torque
Tc =Kϴ
 Torque Equations
• Deflection Torque is proportional to average
vale of i2 ( current through both coils is same)
• Average value of i2 is
ωt) dωt)/
= /2
and /2 =
• Average deflecting torque is balanced by
controlling torque
 Torque Equations
• The scale of meter is calibrated to show Irms
instead of
• Irms has same effect as DC, so same scale can
be used for both AC and DC.
• Such instrument are called transfer
instrument, which are calibrated on DC and
measure AC.
 Electrodynamic
Ammeter

• Swamping resistance
(manganin or
constantin having low
temp coefficient) are
used so that resistance
changes in moving coil
due to temperature
variations have no
effect
• It is 20 to 30 times of
the coil resistance
• Shunt resistance is
used to increase range.
 Electrodynamic Voltmeter

• Knowing the coil resistance and Design voltage, the multiplier resistance can
be calculated exactly like PMMC.
• Since IFSD is high for electrodynamic (100mA), so the resistance is low and it is
not suitable for measuring voltage because of loading effect
Example
Example
Exercise
 Electrodynamic Wattmeter
• Fixed Coil also called current coil is connected in
series with the load to carry circuit current
• Heavy wire is used for CC
• Movable coil also called Pressure Coil is connected
in parallel with load, so that it carries current
proportional to voltage
• The deflection is proportional to in-phase
components of V and I, so it measures true power
• A high resistance is added in series to limit current
Electrodynamic Wattmeter

Simplified
 Example
A wattmeter measures the ac power delivered to a load as 100 W, and an ammeter and
voltmeter measure the load current and voltage as 15 A and 100 V, respectively.
Calculate the phase angle between the current and voltage
Exercise
Wattmeter Circuit Connection

Suitable for light

load
Not suitable for
heavy loads as CC
voltage dop will be
significant
Under Light Loads (low current)

Suitable for heavy

load
Not suitable for
light load as
Voltmeter current
will be significant
Under Heavy
Loads(high current)
 Errors due to method of connecting

• In the first configuration current through CC is

same as that of Load but Voltage across PC is
the sum of load voltage and Voltage drop
across CC. Suitable for low current
• In second configuration current coil carries
load current plus the PC current. Suitable for
high current so that PC current is small as
compared to CC current
 Exercise

Consider Second
Configuraion
P=VI cosᴓ

a) Use these max values and zero phase to calculate max power
 Compensated Wattmeter
• The error in 2nd connection type can be
compensated by using an extra coil as shown
in figure below.
• A second coil is wound along with CC so that
PC current passes through it.
• It cancels the extra magnetic field of CC
 Exercise

Measured Power and Actual Power

 Exercise
An uncompensated wattmeter with 3Ω current coil resistance and 100 k Ω voltage coil
resistance is connected using configuration (a) to measure power. The load consists of
a 100 Ω resistance in series with a 90mH inductance and the supply voltage is 120V, 60
Hz. Calculate the measured power and the error introduced by the wattmeter current
coil
 Multirange Wattmeter

When Current Coil switch is moved, the two current coils’ connection changes
between series and parallel.
In parallel the current is divided between the coils
For voltage coil resistance increases with increase in applied voltage, to limit
current
Extending Wattmeter range
using Instrument Transformers

CT is used to step down current for CC

VT is used to step down voltage for PC or VC.
To determine the actual power from the measured power a multiplying
factor is used which is I1/I2 * V1/V2
Example
 Power measurement
without wattmeter

• Three Voltmeter Method

• I and V2 are in phase while V3 leads I

(assuming inductive load)
 Power measurement
without wattmeter

• Three Ammeter Method

• I2 and V are in phase while I3 lags V