Electromechanical indicating instrument

These comprises of electrical as well as mechanical system, the electrical system usually depends
upon mechanical Meter movements as indicating devices and the mechanical movement has some
inertia, therefore these instruments have a limited time (and hence, frequency) response
e.g. recorders, galvanometers etc.

For satisfactory operation of electromechanical indicating instrument, three forces are

necessary. They are
I. Deflecting force
II. Controlling`force
III. Damping force

Deflecting force

When there is no input signal to the instrument, the pointer will be at its zero position. To deflect
the pointer from its zero position, a force is necessary which is known as deflecting force. A
system which produces the deflecting force is known as a deflecting system. Generally a
deflecting system converts an electrical signal to a mechanical force.

Pointer scale

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Magnetic effect

When a current passes through the coil as shown in figure below, it produces an imaginary bar
magnet. When a soft-iron piece is brought near this coil it is magnetized. Depending upon the
current direction the poles are produced in such a way that there will be a force of attraction
between the coil and the soft iron piece. This principle is used in moving iron attraction type
instrument.

If two soft iron pieces are place near a current carrying coil there will be a force of repulsion
between the two soft iron pieces. This principle is utilized in the moving iron repulsion type
instrument.

Force between a permanent magnet and a current carrying coil

When a current carrying coil is placed under the influence of magnetic field produced by a
permanent magnet and a force is produced between them. This principle is utilized in the moving
coil type instrument.

Force between two current carrying coil

When two current carrying coils are placed closer to each other there will be a force of repulsion
between them. If one coil is movable and other is fixed, the movable coil will move away from
the fixed one. This principle is utilized in electrodynamometer type instrument.

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Controlling force

To make the measurement indicated by the pointer definite (constant) a force is necessary which
will be acting in the opposite direction to the deflecting force. This force is known as controlling
force. A system which produces this force is known as a controlled system. When the external
signal to be measured by the instrument is removed, the pointer should return back to the zero
position. This is possibly due to the controlling force and the pointer will be indicating a steady
value when the deflecting torque is equal to controlling torque.

Td  Tc

Spring control

Two springs are attached on either end of spindle (Fig. 1.5).The spindle is placed in jewelled
bearing, so that the frictional force between the pivot and spindle will be minimum. Two springs
are provided in opposite direction to compensate the temperature error. The spring is made of
phosphorous bronze.

When a current is supply, the pointer deflects due to rotation of the spindle. While spindle is
rotating, the spring attached with the spindle will oppose the movements of the pointer. The
torque produced by the spring is directly proportional to the pointer deflectionθ.

TC ∝ θ

The deflecting torque produced Td proportional to ‗I‘. When TC  Td , the pointer will come

θ∝I
to a steady position. Therefore

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Since, θ and I are directly proportional to the scale of such instrument which uses spring controlled is
uniform.

Gravity Control

In gravity control method, a small weight is attached to the spindle of the moving system.
Due to the gravitational pull, a control torque (acting in opposite direction to the
deplecting torque) is produced whenever the pointer tends to move away from its initial
position. In this case deplecting torque Td is directly proportional to the current I and Tc
Is directly is directly proportional to the sine of the deplection angle, since Td=Tc sine of the
deplection angle is directly proportional to the current, hence scale is nonlinear i.e cramped scale

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 Damping force

The deflection torque and controlling torque produced by systems are electro mechanical.
Due to inertia produced by this system, the pointer oscillates about it final steady position before
coming to rest. The time required to take the measurement is more. To damp out the oscillation
is quickly, a damping force is necessary. This force is produced by different systems.

(a) Air friction damping

(b) Fluid friction damping
(c) Eddy current damping
Air friction damping
The piston is mechanically connected to a spindle through the connecting rod (as shown below).
The pointer is fixed to the spindle moves over a calibrated dial. When the pointer oscillates in
clockwise direction, the piston goes inside and the cylinder gets compressed. The air pushes the
piston upwards and the pointer tends to move in anticlockwise direction.

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If the pointer oscillates in anticlockwise direction the piston moves away and the pressure of the
air inside cylinder gets reduced. The external pressure is more than that of the internal pressure.
Therefore the piston moves down wards. The pointer tends to move in clock wise direction.

Eddy definition and a used current damping

Disc type

An aluminum circular disc is fixed to the spindle as shown above. This disc is made to move in
the magnetic field produced by a permanent magnet.

When the disc oscillates it cuts the magnetic flux produced by damping magnet. An emf is
induced in the circular disc by faradays law. Eddy currents are established in the disc since it has

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several closed paths. By Lenz‘s law, the current carrying disc produced a force in a direction
opposite to oscillating force. The damping force can be varied by varying the projection of the
magnet over the circular disc.

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