Power and Energy

Measurements
Chapters: 39 and 42

Juha Kallunki, 5.4.2006

Contest

Power measurements
DC circuits
AC circuits

Three-phase systems
High-frequency power
measurements

Energy measurements
DC circuits
AC circuits

Example: Power and

energy measurements
in motor drives

Power in DC circuits

Power
P I LVL
Can be carried out using a voltmeter and an
ammeter (generally)
Two measurement arrangements
Wattmeters:

Dynamometer
Digital wattmeter
Thermal wattmeter
Hall-power meter

DC circuits
a)

b)

Ammeter measures
current which flow
into the voltmeter
and load
Voltmeter
measures voltage
drop across the
ammeter in
addition to that
dropping across the
load

Dynamometer

Power (direct)
measurement device
for DC and AC systems
Accuracy better than
0,25 %
Two coils: static and
movable
Torque is proportional
product of current in
current coil and current
in voltage coil

Digital wattmeter (up to

100 kHz)

Advantages:
High-resolution
Accuracy

Several techniques
(multiplication of signals)
Electronic multiplier is an
analog system which gives
as its output a voltage
proportional to the power
indication required A/D
conversion

Hall-power meter

Coil generates
magnetic field which is
proportional to load
current
The sensor excitation
current passes through
R1 and is proportional
to the load voltage
Hall voltage is
proportional to load
power
Problems: offset and
linearity

Power in AC circuits

Instantaneous power
(time dependence)
Mean power (usually
the most interesting)
Real power (active
work), reactive power,
apparent power
Measures can be done
same way as DC circuit
(single-phase)

p(t ) v(t )i(t )

T

1
P p(t )dt
T0

AC circuits

P VL I L cos
Q VL I L sin

S P Q
2

Low- and MediumFrequency Power

Measurements

Three-Voltmeter
Method
Single-phase
arrangements
Power in load can
be measured using
a non-inductive
resistor and
measuring the three
voltage
Also in DC circuits

2
2
2
VAC
VAB
VBC
PL
2R

Line-Frequency Power
Measurements

Polyphase Power Measurements

Three-phase systems are most commonly
used in industrial applications
Energy and power generation and
distribution
Real power for consumer
Reactive power also important (loading)
Power can measured several ways
Power factor

Line-Frequency Power
Measurements (2)

Four (main) different cases which affects

to the measurement arrangements:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Symmetrical load with neutral conductor

Symmetrical load without neutral conductor
Unsymmetrical load with neutral conductor
Unsymmetrical load without neutral conductor

Line-Frequency Power
Measurements (3)

Measurements can be done several

ways (needed arrangements):
One-wattmeter arrangements
Two-wattmeter arrangements
Three-wattmeter arrangements

Symmetrical and
Balanced systems

The supply system is symmetrical and the

three-phase load is balanced when phase
currents and voltages are equal
Normal situation

V1 V2 V3

I1 I 2 I 3

Symmetrical load with

neutral conductor

Symmetrical load with

neutral conductor (2)

Number of wattmeters (voltage/current meter) is (n-1) where

n is number of conductors
If n=3, only one wattmeter are needed
Power factor can be measured for example with power factor
meter
Powers:

S V1 I1 V2 I 2 V3 I 3

P S cos

Q S sin

Symmetrical load with

neutral conductor (3)

One wattmeter
arrangements for
real and reactive
power
measurements

P 3U T IT cos

Symmetrical load without

neutral conductor

Active and reactive power

can be measured with two
power meter (in three-wire
system), case of
symmetrical load and
without neutral conductor
(motors), Arons theorem
Possible to use also in case
of unsymmetrical load
If power factor is <0,5 then
three wattmeter
arrangement

IA

PAB

VAB = VA - VB

Phase A

W
V

Phase B

VCB = VC - VB

IC

V
W

Phase C
PCB

P PAB PCD

Q 3 * PAB PCD

Symmetrical Power Systems

Supplying Unbalanced Loads

Current amplitudes are different, and

their relative phase is not equal 120
Usually it is caused by some fault
(short circuit)
Three- or two wattmeter
arrangements (depends on neutral
point)

Symmetrical Power Systems

Supplying Unbalanced Loads

Four possible arrangements:

Three-wattmeter arrangement
Two-wattmeter arrangement
Barbagelata arrangement
Righi arrangement

Two-wattmeter
arrangements

Measurements
arrangements for
reactive power
measurements

Q 3 P1(30) P3(10)

where

P1( 30) P10 P13

Barbagelata
arrangements

Measurement
arrangements for
active and reactive
power
measurements
Two-wattmeter
method

P P12 P32

Q 1 2P P P P
13
31
32
12

Righi arrangements

Measurement
arrangements for
reactive power
measurements

1
Q
P32 P12 2 P2(31)
3

Conclusion about ThreeWire Systems

High-frequency power
measurements

Radio (< 300 MHz) or microwave (> 1

GHz) frequencies
Measurement devices are classified by
absorption type and transmitted or
throughline type
Based on thermistors, thermocouples,
diodes or radiation sensors
Should be calibrated very carefully

Thermistor-Based Power
Meters

A thermistor is
resistor made of a
compound of highly
temperature
metallic oxides
Resistance is a
function of the
temperature rise
produced by
applied power

Calorimetric method

Accurate method
Technique based on
direct determination
of the heat
produced by the
input power
Laboratory
method

Energy measurements

Simplest way is to measure current, voltage and observation

t1
interval and compute the product:

E VIt p(t )dt

t2

Observation interval measures by a chronometer or a time

counter
Electricity/energy meters:
Electrodynamic measurement device
Induction meter (AC)
Digital energy meter (AC/DC)

Two main parts:

Transducer (Converts power to mechanical or electrical signal)

Counter (Integrates the energy)

DC Energy Measurements

Electrodynamic measurement
device (integrating wattmeter)
Based on DC motor (no iron)
Magnetic field is generating by
line current
Torque
kIV
C m
k 2 IV
R
Aluminum disk and permanent
magnet gives linear
dependence of and power
Mechanical counter transfers
the rotating motion into a
digital or mechanical display

AC Energy Measurements

Induction energy meter

(every household)
Accuracy about 2 %
Current and voltage coil
AC current (coil) Eddy
currents (disk) Force
to disk
Variable powers cause
variable rotating speed
Day and night electricity

AC Energy measurements
1. Current coil and
magnetic circuit
2. Voltage coil and
magnetic circuit
3. Rotating disk
4. Disk axis
5. Permanent magnet
6. Display

Electronic Energy Meters

Product of current and voltage. The

result is integrated over the
observation time
The most used technique is the timedivision multiplier in which pulses are
modulated in duration and amplitude
of voltage and current
Accuracy: 0,005 %

Energy measurements

Automatic remote reading in future

Pricing
Controlling generation/loads

Several system under development

(GSM, radio link, phone line)
Energy meters also in var (reactive
power) hours and volt-ampere
(apparent power) hours

Some Standards

General distribution network

SFS 2537
AC energy measurements

Measurement arrangements

SFS 3381
AC energy measurements

Measurement devices

Case: Elevators power and

energy consumption
measurements

Two-wattmeter method

Voltages: Ul1->Ul2 and Ul2 Ul3

Currents: I1 and I2
Sample frequency: 20 kHz
Dasylab
P = 16 kW, n = 2780 rpm, I = 36 A / 47 A, I = 115 A (start),
cosphi = 0,86, height of the shaft = 3,9 m

Elevator power
consumption
80.00
67 .4 k
W m ax
L ni e ac tvi e pow e r

60.00

40.00
19 ,9 k
W *

20.00
0 .021 k
W

0 .170 k
W *

0.00
80.00
66 .8 k
W m ax
M o to r ac tvi e pow e r

60.00

40.00
19 .7 k
W *

20.00
0 .000 k
W *

0.00
2.5
L ni ePow e r

5.0

7.5

10.0

12.5

15.0

17.5

20.0

22.5

Moo
t rPow e r

Net (green) and motor (blue)

power

25.0

27.5

30.0

32.5

35.0

37.5

40.0

42.5
s

Elevator energy
consumption
80
71 .851W h

72 .602W h

72 .023W h

d t = 12 .102 s

70

60

A cce el ra toi n 21 .942W h (1 .176m )

D ece el ra toi n 0 .149W h (0 .472m )

50
F u llspeed 28 .463W h (2 .464m )

F u llspeed 0 .313W h (2 .664m )

40

30
D ece el ra toi n 20 .202W h (0 .344m )

A cce el ra toi n 0 .116W h (0 .816m )

20

10

0
2.5
Speed

5.0

7.5

10.0

12.5

Moo
t rA c ce el ra toi n

15.0

17.5

20.0

22.5

Ene rg y

Total (net) power

energy consumption

25.0
D si a
t n ce

27.5

30.0

32.5

35.0

37.5

40.0

42.5
s

The End