DYNANOMETER
AND
POWER MEASUREMENT
Member:
NOBLE, A.
OCULARIS, J.
PAMPLONA, J.P.
RALLOS, T.
TABAR, K.C.B.
TAMBA, K.
DYNAMOMETER
A dynamometer is a load device which is generally used for measuring the power output of
an engine.
Several kinds of dynamometers are common, some of them being referred to as “brakes” or
“brake dynamometers”:
1. Dry friction brake dynamometers or Prony Brake Dynamometer,
2. Hydraulic or water brake dynamometers, and
3. Eddy current dynamometers.
DRY FRICTION BRAKE DYNAMOMETERS or PRONY BRAKE DYNAMOMETER
In Prony Brake Dynamometer, when the Brake is to be put in operation, the long end of
the lever is loaded with suitable weights W and the nuts are tightened until the engine shaft runs
at a constant speed and the lever is in Horizontal Position. Under these conditions, the moment
due to the weight W must balance the moment of the Frictional Resistance between the Blocks
and Pulleys.
HYDRAULIC DYNAMOMETER OR WATER BRAKE DYNAMOMETER
In hydraulic dynamometer it consists of an inner rotating member or impeller coupled to
the output shaft of engine. This impeller rotates in a casing filled with fluid. The heat developed
due to dissipation of power is carried away by a continuous supply of working fluid, usually
water. The output can be controlled by regulating the sluice gates which can be moved in and
out to partial or wholly obstructive flow of water between impeller and the casing.
EDDY CURRENT DYNAMOMETER
An eddy current dynamometer is an electromechanical energy conversion device, which
converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. It fundamentally uses Faraday’s Law of
electromagnetic induction as its working principle.
The constructional aspects of the eddy current dynamometer are shown in the above
figure. It consists of the outer frame as the stator, which is also called a stationary member of
the machine. The stator consists of windings, which are placed in stator slots. When the stator
windings are excited, a stator magnetic field is produced in the stator coils. In the case of high
rated machines, 3 phase windings are placed in the stator slots.
The stator windings are made of copper. The outer frame, i.e. the stator is made of a
magnetic material like cast iron or silicon steel in case of delicate applications. The rotating
member is called a rotor, which is kept below the stator coils. The rotor is placed on a shaft so
that it can rotate. Rotor windings are placed on the rotor slots. In the case of heavy machines,
three-phase rotor windings are used to be kept on rotor slots.
The rotor must be connected to the prime mover, such that when the prime mover rotates,
it provides the mechanical input to the device. A D.C supply is used to excite the stator
windings. In the case of large machines, rectifier units are used to achieve this DC supply. For
large machines, oil is used for cooling and insulation of the stator windings. This is important to
dissipate the heat generated.
Once current meter as shown in the diagram is used to measure the current produced and
torque induced. A pointer is connected by an arm to the stator, which can measure the torque
generated in the rotor. And with the knowledge of speed, by using this torque value, we can
calculate the power generated in the machine.
POWER MEASUREMENT
Terminologies:
N −m
Power – the rate of doing work. A unit of power is a newton meter per second s
or Watts.
Brake power – the power output of the engine crankshaft. The engine may be stripped of part
or all of its accessories. Power take-off power – the power delivered by a tractor through it’s to
shaft.
Drawbar power – the power of a tractor measured at the end of the drawbar.
Friction power – the power required to run the engine at any given speed without production of
useful work. It is usually measured with a suitable electric dynamometer that runs or “motors”
the engine. It represents the friction and pumping losses of an engine.
Observed power – the power obtained at the dynamometer without any correction for
atmospheric temperature, pressure, or water vapour.
Corrected power – obtained by correcting observed power to standard conditions of sea-level
pressure, 15.5 oC temperature, and zero vapour pressure.
