Measuring Instruments

Prepared by
Dr.Subir Das
Assistant Professor
Electronics & Instrumentation Engineering
National Institute of Technology, Agartala
Tripura-799046
 Topic Covered
 Type of Measuring Instrument
 Moving Coil type Instruments
 Moving Iron type Instruments
 Electrodynamometer Instruments
 Induction type Instruments
 Induction type wattmeter
 Single induction type energy meter
 Power Factor Meter
 Electrodynamometer type frequency meter

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 Type of Measuring Instrument
 An instrument is a device in which we can determine the magnitude or value of the
quantity to be measured

 Absolute Instrument
 An absolute instrument determines the magnitude of the quantity to be measured in
terms of the instrument parameter.
 Secondary Instrument
 This instrument determines the value of the quantity to be measured directly.
Generally these instruments are calibrated by comparing with another standard
Absolute instrument.

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 Type of Measuring Instrument
 Types of Secondary Instruments

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 Electromechanical indicating instrument
 Major Components of this type of Instrument are
 (a) Deflecting force
 (b) Controlling force
 (c) Damping 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.
 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.
 After reaching the final value, 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.

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 Electromechanical indicating instrument
 DefectingTorque produced by
 When a current carrying coil placed near a soft iron piece (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.
 When a current carrying coil is placed under the influence of magnetic field
produced by a permanent magnet. This principle is utilized in the moving coil type
instrument.
 the force between two current carrying coils, This principle is utilized in
electrodynamometer type instrument.

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 Electromechanical indicating instrument
 ControllingTorque produced by
 Spring Action

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 Electromechanical indicating instrument
 Damping force made by

(a) Air friction damping

(b) Fluid friction damping

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 Electromechanical indicating instrument
(c) Eddy current damping

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 Measuring Instruments

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 Depending on working principle
 Moving iron type  Moving coil type
instruments instruments

a). Attraction type a). Permanent magnet type

b). Dynamometer type
b). Repulsion type
Principle
 When the current to be measured is passed through the coil
or solenoid, field is produced which attracts the eccentrically
mounted disc inwards, thereby deflection the pointer which
moves over a calibrated scale
Construction
 A soft iron disc is attached to
the spindle
 To the spindle, a pointer is
also attached, which is made
to move over calibrated scale
 The moving iron is pivoted
such that it is attracted
towards the center of the coil
where the magnetic field is
maximum
MOVING IRON INSTRUMENTS – ATTRACTION TYPE

Principle
 A soft iron piece gets magnetized when it is
brought into a magnetic field produced by a
permanent magnet.
 The same phenomenon happens when the soft
iron piece is brought near either of the ends
of a coil carrying current.
 The iron piece is attracted towards that
portion where the magnetic flux density is
more.
 This movement of soft iron piece is used to
measure the current or voltage which
produces the magnetic field.
Deflecting Torque

 Produced by the current or the voltage to be measured.

 It is proportional to the square of the voltage or current.

 The instrument can be used to measure d.c. or a.c.

 Scale is non- uniform
Control torque : Spring or gravity
Damping : Air friction damping
 MOVING IRON INSTRUMENT - REPULSION TYPE

Principle
 Two iron piece kept with close
proximity in a magnetic field get
magnetized to the same polarity.
Hence, a repulsive force is
produced.
 If one of the two piece is made
movable, the repulsive force will
act on it and move it on to one
side.
 This movement is used to measure
the current or voltage which
produces the magnetic field.
Construction
 There are two iron pieces-fixed and moving.
 The moving iron is connected to the spindle to which is
attached a pointer. It is made to move over a calibrated
scale.
Working
 When the current to be measured is passed through the fixed coil
it sets up its own magnetic field which magnetizes the two rods
similarly 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
 Whatever be the direction of current in the coil, the two irons are
always similarly magnetised.
Deflecting torque
 Produced by the current or the voltage to be measured.
 It is proportional to the square of the voltage or current.
 Hence, the instrument can be used to measure d.c. or a.c.

Control torque : Spring or gravity

Damping : Air friction damping
Advantages and disadvantages:
• The instruments are cheap ,reliable and robust
 The instruments can be used on both A.C and D.C
 They cannot be calibrated with high degree of precision with
D.C on account of the effect of hysteresis in the iron rods or
vanes .
 MOVING COIL INSTRUMENT – PERMANENT
MAGNET TYPE
Principle :

when a current carrying conductor is

placed in magnetic field it is acted
upon by a force which tends to move
it to one side and out of the field. This
movement of coil is used to measure
current or voltage.
Construction
 This instrument consists of a
permanent magnet and a
rectangular coil of many turns
wound on a light aluminium or
copper former inside which is an
iron core

• The sides of the coil are free to

move in the two air gaps between the
poles and core

• To the moving coil spindle is attached,

a pointer is attached to the spindle to
move over a calibrated scale.
 Working Principle
 A magnetic field of sufficient density is
produced by the permanent magnet.
 The moving coil carries the current or
a current proportional to the voltage
to be measured.
 Hence, an electromagnetic force is
produced which tends to act on the
moving coil and moves it away from
the field.
 This movement makes the spindle
move and so the pointer gives a
proportionate deflection
 Deflecting torque : It is directly proportional to the current or the
voltage to be measured. So, the instrument can be used to measure
direct current and dc voltage.

 Control torque : Spring control.

 Damping torque : Eddy current damping. Damping is

electromagnetic by eddy currents induced in the metal frame over
which the coil is wound. Since the frame moves in an intense magnetic
field, the induced eddy currents are large and damping is very
effective.
The permanent-magnet moving coil (PMMC) type instruments
have the following advantage and disadvantages:

ADVANTAGES
1.They have low power consumption
2.Their scales are uniform and can be designed to extend over and arc of 1700 degree or so
3.They possess high (torque/weight) ratio.
4. They can be modified what the help o f shunts and resistances to cover a wide range of currents
and voltages.
5.They have no hysteresis loss.

DISADVANTAGES
1. Due to delicate construction and the necessary accurate machining and assembly of various
parts, such instruments are somewhat costlier as compared to moving iron instruments.

2. Some errors are set in due to the ageing of control springs and the permanent magnets.
3. Can be used for DC circuit only.
 Ammeter/voltmeter Circuit Using PMMC Instrument
 Ammeter Shunt for measuring High Current
 When heavy currents are to be measured, the major
part of the current is bypassed through a low
resistance called a ‘shunt”.
 'Manganin' is usually used for shunts of d.c.
instruments as it gives low value of thermal emf.
 'Constantan' is a useful material for a c. circuits since
its comparatively high thermal emf, being
unidirectional, is ineffective on these circuits.

 The shunt Resistant may be calculated as

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 Ammeter/voltmeter Circuit Using PMMC Instrument
 Voltmeter multiplier for measuring High
voltage
 The multiplier limits the current through the meter
so that it does not exceed the value for full scale
deflection and thus prevents the movement from
being damaged.
 The resistance materials used for multipliers
are manganin and constantan.
 Multipliers are mounted inside the instrument case
for voltages up to 500 V. For higher voltages, the
multipliers may be mounted separately outside the
case on a pair of binding posts to avoid excessive
heating inside the case.
 The value of a multiplier, required to extend the
voltage range, is calculated as under :

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  A 1-mA meter movement with an internal resistance of 100 ohm is to
be converted into a 0-100 mA ammeter, calculate the shunt resistance
required. Find the maximum voltage limit which can apply across the
ammeter.

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 Problem:
 A moving coil instrument gives a full scale deflection of 10 mA when the potential
difference across its terminals is 100 mV. Calculate (a) the shunt resistance for a full
scale deflection corresponding to 100 A, (b) the series resistance for full scale reading
with 1000 V. Calculate the power dissipation in each case.

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 MOVING COIL INSTRUMENTS – DYNAMOMETER
TYPE
Principle

An electrodynamic instrument is a moving coil instrument in which the

operating field is produced, not by a permanent but by another fixed
coil. This instrument can be used either as an ammeter or voltmeter
but is generally used as a wattmeter.
Construction
 Fixed coil (F) is made in two
sections.

 In the space between two,

Moving coil (M) is placed.

 Moving coil is attached to the

spindle to which pointer is
attached.

 The pointer is allowed to

move over a calibrated scale
Working
 The fixed coil and the moving coil carry currents. Thus, two
magnetic fields are produced.
 Hence, an electromagnetic force tends to act on the moving
coil and makes it move.
 This makes the pointer gives a proportionate deflection.
Deflecting torque
As voltmeter: The two coils are electrically in series. Deflecting torque is
proportional to square of voltage to be measured. Hence used for
measuring ac and dc voltages.
As ammeter: The two coils are electrically in series. Deflecting torque is
proportional to square of current to be measured. Hence used for
measuring ac and dc currents.
As wattmeter: Fixed coils carry the system current. Moving coil carries a current
proportional to the system voltage. The deflecting torque is proportional to
V ICos φ i.e. Power to be measured

Control torque : Spring control.

Damping torque : Air damping.

 Exercise
 The inductance of a 25 A electrodynamic ammeter changes
uniformly at the rate of 0.0035 pH/degree The spring constant is
10^-6 N-m/degree, Determine the angular deflection at full
scale.

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 Exercise
 A 10 A electrodynamic ammeter is controlled by a spring having
a constant of 0.1x10^-6 N-m/degree. The full scale deflection
is110°. Determine the inductance of the instrument when
measuring a current of 10 A. Initial inductance is 2µH and the
change is linear.

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 Electrodynamometer type Power Factor Meter
 The moving system of the instrument is perfectly balanced &
there is no controlling forces.
 There are two types of Power factor meter
 Electrodynamometer type
 Moving Iron type

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 Electrodynamometer type Power Factor Meter

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 Induction Type Instruments

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 Induction Type Instruments
Ferraris Type Instruments

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 Induction Type Instruments
Shaded Pole Type Instruments

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 Induction Type Instruments
Single Phase Energy Meter
There are four main parts of the operating
mechanism:
(i) driving system, (ii) moving system,
(iii) braking system, and (iv) registering system.

Driving System.
The driving system of the meter consists of two
electro-magnets.
The core. of these electromagnets is made up of
silicon steel laminations.
The coil of one of the electromagnets is excited by
the load current.This coil is called the current coil.
 The coil of second electromagnet is connected
across the supply and, therefore, carries a current
proportional to the supply voltage. This coil is called
the pressure/voltage coil.

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 Single Phase Energy Meter
 These two electromagnets are known as series and shunt magnets respectively.
 Copper shading bands are provided on the central limb to bring the flux produced by the shunt
magnet exactly in quadrature with the applied voltage.
 Moving System:
 It consist with aluminum disc mounted on a light
alloy shaft.
A moving system/rotor is fixed to the top of shaft through
Bearing
The rotor runs on a hardened steel pivot,
screwed to the foot of the shaft.

The pivot is supported by a jewel bearing. A pinion engages

the shaft with the counting or registering mechanism.

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 Single Phase Energy Meter
 Braking System .
 A permanent magnet positioned near the edge of the aluminium disc forms the braking system.
The aluminium disc moves in the field of this magnet and thus provides a braking torque. The
position of the permanent magnet is adjustable, and therefore, braking torque can be adjusted
by shifting the permanent magnet to different radial positions.
 Registering (counting) Mechanism.
 The function of a registering or counting mechanism is to record continuously a number which
is proportional to the revolutions made by the moving system.

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 Induction Type Instruments
Single Phase Energy Meter

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 Induction Type Instruments
Creeping

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