Measurement of Three-Phase

Power by Two-Wattmeter Method

Author: E.E. Kimberly

If in Fig. 9-5 (a) the three meter potential coil terminals at 0 be kept joined, but be
removed from the neutral of the system, the readings of all wattmeters will be unchanged,
because the wattmeter potential coils themselves form a balanced Y-connected circuit and
so the voltage across every potential coil remains unchanged. This method of measurement
is called the "floating neutral" method and is accurate on a three-phase three-wire or four-
wire system regardless of power factor or load unbalance.

Fig. 9-6.
Measurement of
3-Phase Power
by Two-
Wattmeter
Method

If, then, the junction of the potential leads be moved and connected to one of the line wires,
as at x on line 1, the sum P1 + P2+P3 will be unchanged, although the power read from
wattmeter W1 will be zero. Thus, it is possible and feasible to measure three-wire, three-
phase power in the circuit in Fig. 9-4 (a) by using only the two wattmeters W1 and W3. This
is called the two-wattmeter method and may be used with convenience on any three-wire
system, whether Y-connected or -connected and whether balanced or unbalanced, as in
Fig. 9-6.

A proof of the correctness of the two-wattmeter method in measuring balanced three-phase

loads is as follows. For convenience Fig. 9-7 is drawn for a Y-connected circuit. In the vector
diagram,

V01 V02, and V03 are phase voltages; V12, V23, and V31 are line voltages;

= displacement angle between a current and its respective phase-to-neutral voltage.

 Fig. 9-7. Vector
Diagram of Two-
Wattmeter
Method

By the three-wattmeter method,

P = P1 + P2 + P3

or

P = V01I1cos + V02I2cos + V03I3cos [a]

By the two-wattmeter method,

P = Pa + Pb

or

P = V12I2cos(30+) + V13I3cos(30-) [b]

Since the right-hand members of equations (a) and (b) must be equal, if both methods are
to give the same results,

But

Since this equation is an identity, it follows that