DEE1012 MEASUREMENT

TOPIC 2

DC & AC METERS (5:12)

 LEARNING OUTCOME

At the end of this topic, students should be able to :

1. Draw the construction of Permanent Moving Coil
(PMMC)
2. Describe the basic construction and operating
principle of PMMC
3. Draw basic configuration of PMMC AC meter
a. Electrodynamometer
b. moving Iron
4. Describe basic principle of PMMC for AC meter
 INTRODUCTION
• In electrical analog instruments, uses different types
of principle such as PMMC/D’Arsonval, Moving Iron,
Electrodynamometer, Hot Wire, Thermocouple,
Induction Type and Electrostatic.

• A permanent magnet moving coil (PMMC) is one

such instrument which is popularly used and has
various applications.

• Moving Coil Instruments are used for measuring DC

quantities but can be used on AC systems when fed
through bridge rectifiers.
1.) Indicator Zero Connector
2.) Indicator Pointer
3.) Indicator Scale
4.) Continuity Indicating LED
( CONTINUITY )
5.) Range Selector Switch knob
6.) 0-ohms adjusting knob/0-
centering meter (NULL meter)
adjusting knob
7.) Measuring Terminal +
8.) Measurin Terminal - COM
9.) Series
Terminal Capacitor OUTPUT
10.) Panel
11.) Rear Case
• 1.) Resistance (OHMS) scale
2.) DCV, A scale and ACV scale
(10V or more)
3.) 0-centerig (NULL) +/- DCV scale
4.) ACV 2.5 (AC 2.5V) exclusive scale
5.) Transistor DC amplification factor
(hFE) scale
6.) 1.5 baterry test (BATT 1.5V)
7.) OHMS range terminal to terminal current
(Li) scale)
8.) OHMS range terminal to terminal voltage
(LV) scale
9.) Decibel (dB) scale
10.) Continuity Indicating LED
11.0 Mirror
CONSTRUCTION OF PERMANENT MAGNET
MOVING COIL (PMMC)
DEFLECTING & CONTROLLING TORQUE
 PRINCIPLE OPERATION OF PMMC

Working_of_Moving_Coil_Electrical_small.FLV
• A coil suspended in the magnetic field of a permanent magnet in the
shape of a horse-shoe.
• The coil is suspended so that it can rotate freely in the magnetic field.
• When current flows in the coil, the developed (electromagnetic) torque
causes the coil to rotate.
• The electromagnetic torque is counter balanced by a mechanical torque
of control springs attached to the movable coil.
• The balance of torques, and therefore the angular position of the movable
coil is indicated by a pointer against a fixed reference called a scale
 PRINCIPLE OPERATION OF PMMC
• When a current flow through the coil, it generates a
magnetic field which is proportional to the current.
• The deflecting torque (Td) is produced by the
electromagnetic action of the current in the coil and the
magnetic field.
• The controlling torque (Tc) is provided by spiral springs.
These springs serve as a flexible connection to the coil
conductors.
• Damping is caused by the eddy current set up in the
aluminum coil which prevents the oscillation of the coil.
• The PMMC has a variety of uses such as ammeter,
voltmeter, ohmmeter and galvanometer
PRINCIPLE OPERATION OF PMMC
 PRINCIPLE OPERATION OF PMMC
• Deflecting System – This system provides the deflecting
torque proportional to the quantity to be measured and
moves the pointer from its zero position when a current
flows.
• Controlling System – The controlling force is equal and
opposite to the deflecting torque in order to make the
deflection of the pointer proportional to the magnitude
of the quantity to be measured. The force also brings the
pointer back to zero position when the force is removed.

• Damping System –provides the damping torque so that

the pointer quickly comes to the final steady state
position without any swing or oscillations.
 DAMPING TORQUE

Lack of damping causes Damping curve

the pointer to oscillate
DEFLECTING TORQUE , Td
 DEFLECTING TORQUE EQUATION
Td  BANI

Where Td  deflecting Torque  Nm

Wb 
B  flux density in air gap   / T
 m2 
N  number of turns of the coil

A  m 2 
 effective coil area ( wxl )
 
I  Current in the moving coil  A
 EXAMPLE 1
A PMMC instrument with a 100 turns coil has a
magnetic flux density in its air gaps of B=0.2 T. The
coil dimension are w=1 cm and l=1.5 cm. Calculate
the torque on the coil for a current of 1 mA.

Solution

T  BANI   0.2T  1.5  10 2 1  10 2 100 1  10 3 

d     
 3  10 6 Nm
 3Nm
 Tutorial
1. A PMMC instrument has 200 turns and is suspended in a uniform
magnetic field of 0.5W/m2. The coil dimension is 1cm wide and
2cm high. Calculate the deflecting torque on the coil if the current
is 2mA. (40µNm)
2. In moving coil instrument consists of 110 turns wound on a
square former length 1cm and 1.5cm wide. The flux density in the
air gap is 0.07T. Determine the deflecting torque on the coil when
carrying a current of 13mA. ( 15µNm)
3. A moving coil voltmeter gives full scale deflection with a current
of 5mA. The coil has 100 turns, effective depth of 1.5cm and
width of 2cm, the controlling torque of the spring is 4.9 µNm for
full scale deflection. Calculate the flux density in the gap. (3.26T)
 PMMC AC METER
Divided into 2 categories

– Moving coil (Electrodynamometer)

instrument
– Moving iron instrument
MOVING COIL (ELECTRODYNAMOMETER)
 ELECTRODYNAMOMETER INSTRUMENT
1. The electrodynamometer is a current sensitive device.
2. Consists of a fixed coil divided into two halve, separated
by a moveable coil and pointer attached to it.
3. The electrodynamometer movement has the same
basic operating principle as the PMMC/D’Arsonval
meter movement, except that the permanent magnet
is replaced by fixed coils
4. The two fixed coil and moving coil are connected in
series such that the same current flows through each
coil.
 ELECTRODYNAMOMETER INSTRUMENT
5. Current flow through all the coils causes a magnetic
field around the field coils.
6. When the same current flow through the moving
coil, the two fluxes interact causing the coil and the
pointer to be deflected up scale.
7. The pointer deflects as the square of the current
since the same current flows through the fixed coil
and moving coil (deflecting torque is proportional
to the product of two currents)
• TD α I (Fixed Coil) α I (Moving Coil)
• TD α I2
 ELECTRODYNAMOMETER INSTRUMENT
Application :
– Electrodynamometer meter movements can be used to
construct various types of instruments such as voltmeters
and ammeters, but the best known use is for AC/DC
wattmeters .
– Other uses include phase shift measurement, frequency
measurement and harmonic analysis.

Limitation :
– The sensitivity rating is very low-approximately in the
range of 20 to 100Ω/V
– Non linear meter scale
 MOVING IRON INSTRUMENT

1. The moving iron vane is a current responding device

and can be used to measured both AC current and
voltage.
2. The moving iron vane meter operates on the principle
of magnetic repulsion between like poles.

3. Consists of a fixed coil of many turns and two iron

vane inside the fixed coil. Repulsive force will act
when two similarly magnetized iron vane are placed
near to each other.
 MOVING IRON INSTRUMENT

4. If one of the iron vane is attached to the frame of a

fixed coil, then the other vane will be repelled by an
amount related to the square of the current and
moves the meter pointer.

Application
It is widely used in industry for applications in
which ruggedness is more important than a high of
accuracy.
 MOVING IRON INSTRUMENT
Limitation
– One of the major disadvantages of this type of meter
movement occurs due to the high reluctance of the
magnetic circuit. This causes the meter to require
much more power to produce a full scale deflection,
thereby reducing the meters sensitivity.
– Direct current causes Hysterisis (magnetic lag) to occur
in the iron vane that will cause appreciable error
(therefore it is rarely used). For AC application, the
magnetic lag presents no problem
– Very sensitive to frequency change and can be
expected to provide accurate reading over a limited
frequency range (approximately 25 to 125Hz)
MOVING IRON INSTRUMENT