1. EMT 462 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY
Chapter 4 : DC Meters
By:
En. Muhammad Mahyiddin Ramli
MMR

2. Today’s Lecture Motivation
To familiarize the d’Arsonval meter movement, how it is used in ammeters, voltmeters, and ohmeters, some of its limitations (effects), as well as some of its applications.
Chap 4: DC Meters

3. After completing today topic, students should be able to…….
Explain the principle of operation of the
d’Arsonval meter movement
Describe the purpose of shunts across a
meter movement and multipliers in
series with a meter movement
Define the term sensitivity
Chap 4: DC Meters

4. Meter: Any device built to accurately detect &
Introduction
Meter: Any device built to accurately detect &
display an electrical quantity in a
readable form by a human being.
Readable form
Visual
Motion of pointer on a scale
Series of light (digital)
Chap 4: DC Meters

5. The D’Arsonval Meter
Hans Oersted ( )
Jacques d’Arsonval ( )
Danish physicist who discovered the relationship between current and magnetism – from the deflection of a compass needle
French physiologist who discovered the moving-coil galvanometer – from muscle contractions in frogs using a telephone, which operates on an extremely feeble currents similar to animal electricity
Chap 4: DC Meters

6. EMT462 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY
The D’Arsonval Meters
In 1880s, two French inventors: Jacques d’Arsonval and Marcel Deprez patented the moving-coil galvanometer.
Jacques d’Arsonval
(1851 – 1940)
Marcel Deprez
(1843 – 1918)
Deprez-d'Arsonval Galvanometer
Chap 4: DC Meters
MMR

7. Types of Instrument
Permanent Magnet Moving-Coil (PMMC) – most accurate type for DC measurement
Moving Iron
Electrodynamometer
Hot wire
Thermocouple
Induction Type
Electrostatic
Rectifier
Chap 4: DC Meters

8. The D’Arsonval Meter Movement
The basic moving coil system generally referred to as a d’Arsonval meter movement or Permanent Magnet Coil (PMMC) meter movement.
Current-sensitive device capable of directly measuring only very small currents.
Its usefulness as a measuring device is greatly increased with the proper external circuitry.
Fig 1-1 The d’Arsonval meter movement
Chap 4: DC Meters

9. Current from a circuit in which measurements are being made with the meter passes through the windings of the moving coil. Current through the coil causes it to behave as an electromagnet with its own north and south poles. The poles of the electromagnet interact with the poles of the permanent magnet, causing the coil to rotate. The pointer deflects up scale whenever current flows in the proper direction in the coil. For this reason, all dc meter movements show polarity markings.
Chap 4: DC Meters

10. D’Arsonval Used in DC Ammeter
Chap 4: DC Meters

11. D’Ársonval Meter Movement Used In A DC Ammeter
Since the windings of the moving coil are very fine wire, the basic d’Arsonval meter movement has only limited usefulness without modification.
One desirable modification is to increase the range of current that can be measured with the basic meter movement.
This done by placing a low resistance called a shunt (Rsh), and its function is to provide an alternate path for the total metered current, I around the meter movement.
Chap 4: DC Meters

12. Basic DC Ammeter Circuit
Where
Rsh = resistance of the shunt
Rm = internal resistance of the meter movement (resistance of the moving coil)
Ish = current through the shunt
Im = full-scale deflection current of the meter movement
I = full-scale deflection current for the ammeter
Fig. 1-2 D’Ársonval meter movement used in ammeter circuit
In most circuits, Ish >> Im
Chap 4: DC Meters

13. Cont’
Knowing the voltage across, and the current through, the shunt allows us to determine the shunt resistance as:
Ohm
Chap 4: DC Meters

14. Example 3.1
Calculate the value of the shunt resistance required to convert a 1-mA meter movement, with a 100-ohm internal resistance, into a 0- to 10-mA ammeter.
Chap 4: DC Meters

15. Solution
Chap 4: DC Meters

16. Ayrton Shunt or Universal Shunt
William Edward Ayrton studied under Lord Kelvin at Glasgow. In 1873 he was appointed to the first chair in natural philosophy and telegraphy at Imperial Engineering College, Tokyo. In 1879 he was the first to advocate power transmission at high voltage, and with John Perry ( ) he invented the spiral-spring ammeter, the wattmeter, and other electrical measuring instruments. The ammeter (a contraction of ampere meter) was one of the first to measure current and voltage reliably. They also worked on railway electrification, produced a dynamometer and the first electric tricycle.
William Edward Ayrton ( )
British Engineer
Chap 4: DC Meters

17. I = nIm The Ayrton Shunt =
The purpose of designing the shunt circuit is to allow to measure current, I that is some number n times larger than Im.
I = nIm =
Chap 4: DC Meters

18. Advantages of the Ayrton
Eliminates the possibility of the meter movement being in the circuit without any shunt resistance.
May be used with a wide range of meter movements.
Fig 1-3 Ayrton shunt circuit
Chap 4: DC Meters

19. Con’t
The individual resistance values of the shunts are calculated by starting with the most sensitive range and working toward the least sensitive range.
The shunt resistance is:
On this range the shunt resistance is equal to Rsh and can be computed by Eqn
Chap 4: DC Meters

20. Con’t
Chap 4: DC Meters

21. D’Arsonval Used in DC Voltmeter
Chap 4: DC Meters

22. D’Ársonval Meter Movement Used In A DC Voltmeter
The basic d’Ársonval meter movement can be converted to a dc voltmeter by connecting a multiplier Rs in series with the meter movement
The purpose of the multiplier:
is to extend the voltage range of the meter
to limit current through the d’Arsonval meter movement to a maximum full-scale deflection current.
Fig 1.4 The basic d’Arsonval meter
Movement Used In A DC Voltmeter
Chap 4: DC Meters

23. Resistance Internal Range - ´ = S R Con’t
To find the value of the multiplier resistor, first determine the sensitivity, S, of the meter movement.
Resistance
Internal
Range - = S R s
Chap 4: DC Meters

24. Example 3.2
Calculate the value of the multiplier resistance on the 50V range of a dc voltmeter that used a 500A meter movement with an internal resistance of 1k.
Chap 4: DC Meters

25. Solution Sensitivity, Multiplier, Rs = S X Range – internal Resistance
= (2k X 50) – 1k
= 99k
Chap 4: DC Meters

26. Voltmeter And Ammeter Effect
Chap 4: DC Meters

27. Voltmeter Loading Effect
When a voltmeter is used to measure the voltage across a circuit component, the voltmeter circuit itself is in parallel with the circuit component.
Since the parallel combination of two resistors is less than either resistor alone, the resistance seen by the source is less with the voltmeter connected than without.
Therefore, the voltage across the component is less whenever the voltmeter is connected.
The decrease in voltage may be negligible or it may be appreciable, depending on the sensitivity of the voltmeter being used.
This effect is called voltmeter loading. The resulting error is called a loading error.
Chap 4: DC Meters

28. Example 3.3
Two different voltmeters are used to measure the voltage across resistor RB in the circuit of Figure 2-2. The meters are as follows.
Meter A : S = 1k/V, Rm = 0.2k,
range = 10V
Meter B : S = 20k/V, Rm = 1.5k,
range=10V
Calculate:
a) Voltage across RB without any meter connected across it.
b) Voltage across RB when meter A is used.
c) Voltage across RB when meter B is used
d) Error in voltmeter readings.
Chap 4: DC Meters

29. Solution
(a) The voltage across resistor RB without either meter connected is found Using the voltage divider equation:
Chap 4: DC Meters

30. Solution (b) Starting with meter A, the total resistance it
presents to the circuit is:
The parallel combination
of RB and meter A is:
Therefore, the voltage reading obtained with meter A, determined by the voltage divider equation, is:
Chap 4: DC Meters

31. Solution
(c) The total resistance that meter B presents to the circuit is:
RTB = S x Range = 20k/V x 10 V = 200 k
The parallel combination of RB and meter B is:
Re2 = (RB x RTB)/(RB + RTB) = (5kx200k)/(5k+200k) = 4.88 k
Therefore, the voltage reading obtained with meter B, determined by use of the voltage divider equation, is:
VRB = E(Re2)/(Re2+RA) = 30 V x (4.88k)/(4.88k+25k)
= 4.9 V
Chap 4: DC Meters

32. Solution (d) Voltmeter A error = (5 V – 3.53 V)/5 V x (100% = 29.4%
Voltmeter B error = (5 V – 4.9 V)/5 V x (100%)
= 2 %
Chap 4: DC Meters

33. Ammeter Insertion Effects
Inserting an ammeter in a circuit always increases the resistance of the circuit and reduces the current in the circuit.
This error caused by the meter depends on the relationship between the value of resistance in the original circuit and the value of resistance in the ammeter.
Chap 4: DC Meters

34. Con’t
** For high range ammeter, the internal resistance in the ammeter is low.
** For low range ammeter, the internal resistance in the ammeter is high.
Chap 4: DC Meters

35. Expected current value in a series circuit Series circuit with ammeter
Chap 4: DC Meters

36. Con’t
Hence;
Therefore;
Insertion error =
Chap 4: DC Meters

37. Example 3.4
A current meter that has an internal resistance of 78 ohms is used to measure the current through resistor Rc in below circuit.
Determine the percentage of error of the reading due to ammeter insertion.
Chap 4: DC Meters

38. Solution
The current meter will be connected into the circuit between points X and Y in the schematic as shown above.
When we look back into the circuit from terminals X and Y, we can express Thevenin’s equivalent resistance as:
RTH = 1 k k = 1.5 k
Chap 4: DC Meters

39. Solution Therefore, the ratio of meter current to expected current:
Im/Ie= 1.5 k/(1.5 k + 78) = 0.95
Solving for Im yields, Im = 0.95Ie
Insertion error = [1 – (Im/Ie)] x 100% = 5.0%
Chap 4: DC Meters

40. The Ohmmeter (Series Ohmmeter)
The ohmmeter consists of battery, resistor and PMMC.
The full-scale deflection current,
Basic ohmmeter circuit
*function of Rz and Rm are to limit the current through the meter.
Chap 4: DC Meters

41. Con’t
Rz = variable resistor
Basic ohmmeter circuit with unknown resistor, Rx connected between probes.
To determine the value of unknown resistor, Rx, The Rx is connected to terminal X and Y.
Above figure shows the basic ohmmeter circuit with unknown resistor, Rx connected between probes.
Chap 4: DC Meters

42. Con’t The circuit current,
The ratio of the current, I to the full-scale deflection current, Ifs is
Chap 4: DC Meters

43. Summary
Basic d’Arsonval meter movement – current sensitive device capable of directly measuring only very small currents.
Large currents can be measured by adding shunts.
Voltage can be measured by adding multipliers.
Resistance – adding battery and a resistance network.
All ammeters & voltmeters introduce some error – meter loads the circuit (common instrumentation problem).
Chap 4: DC Meters

44. EMT462 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY
It is possible to fail in many ways....while to succeed its only possible in one way.
- Aristotle
Chap 4: DC Meters
MMR