INDUCTION TYPE ENERGY METER

SINGLE PHASE ENERGY METER: Introduction -

(Single Phase Induction Meter)

 Construction -

 Driving system,
 Moving system,
 Braking syatem, and
 Registering system
 DRIVING SYSTEM

A coil having large number of turns of fine wire is wound on the middle limb
of the shunt magnet. This coil is known as “pressure or voltage” coil and is
connected across the supply mains. This voltage coil has many turns and is
arranged to be as highly inductive as possible. In other words, the voltage
coil produces a high ratio of inductance to resistance. This causes the
current, and therefore the flux, to lag the supply voltage by nearly 90°.
Adjustable copper shading rings are provided on the central limb of the
shunt magnet to make the phase angle displacement between magnetic
field set up by shunt magnet and supply voltage approximately 90°. The
copper shading bands are also called the power factor compensator or
compensating loop. The series electromagnet is energized by a coil, known
as “current” coil which is connected in series with the load so that it carry
the load current. The flux produced by this magnet is proportional to, and in
phase with the load current.
 MOVING SYSTEM

The moving system essentially consists of a light rotating

aluminium disc mounted on a vertical spindle or shaft. The shaft
that supports the aluminium disc is connected by a gear
arrangement to the clock mechanism on the front of the meter
to provide information that consumed energy by the load. The
time varying (sinusoidal) fluxes produced by shunt and series
magnet induce eddy currents in the aluminium disc. The
interaction between these two magnetic fields and eddy
currents set up a driving torque in the disc. The number of
rotations of the disk is therefore proportional to the energy
consumed by the load in a certain time interval and is commonly
measured in killowatt-hours (Kwh).
 BRAKING SYSTEM

Damping of the disk is provided by a small permanent magnet,

located diametrically opposite to the a.c magnets. The disc
passes between the magnet gaps. The movement of rotating
disc through the magnetic field crossing the air gap sets up
eddy currents in the disc that reacts with the magnetic field
and exerts a braking torque. By changing the position of the
brake magnet or diverting some of the flux there form, the
speed of the rotating disc can be controlled.
 REGISTERING SYSTEM

The registering or counting system essentially consists of gear

train, which turns pointers that indicate on dials the number
of times the disc has turned. The energy meter thus
determines and adds together or integrates all the
instantaneous power values so that total energy used over a
period is thus known. Therefore, this type of meter is also
called an “integrating” meter.
WORKING
 WORKING

When the energy meter is connected in the circuit, the current coil carries
the load current and the pressure coil carries the current proportional to the
supply voltage. The magnetic field produced by the SERIES magnet (series
coil) is in phase with the line current & the magnetic field produced by the
shunt magnet (pressure coil) is in quadrature with the applied voltage (since
the coil is highly inductive). Thus, a phase difference exists between the
fluxes produced by the two coils. This sets up a rotating field which interacts
with the eddy current produced in the disc(because of induced emf) and
produces a driving torque and, thus, disc starts rotating. The number of
revolutions made by the disc depends upon the energy passing through the
meter. The spindle is geared to the recording mechanism so that electrical
energy consumed in the circuit is directly registered in KWh.

The speed of the disc is adjusted by adjusting the position of the braking
magnet.
THREE PHASE ENERGY METER: CONSTRUCTION
A 3-phase induction motor has same four systems but they are arranged in a
different way as shown in the figure given below.

This is a two element 3-phase energy meter. On a common spindle two discs are
mounted and each disc has its own break magnet. Moving system drives a
gear. Each unit is provided with its own copper shading ring, shading band, friction
compensator, etc., to make adjustments for obtaining correct reading.
Working of three phase energy meter:
For same power/energy the driving torque should be equal in both
elements. For adjusting torque in both the elements we have two current
coils connected in phase opposition and two potential coils connected in
parallel. Full load current passes through current coil and this arrangement
causes two torques to be in opposition and the disc doesn't move if
torques are equal. Magnetic shunt is adjusted if there is inequality in
torques to make the disc to stand still. Before testing a 3 phase energy
meter torque balance is obtained in this way.
Aluminium discs are acted upon by the two coils, one is voltage coil and
the other is current coil. Voltage coil produces magnetic flux proportional
to voltage and current coil produces magnetic flux proportional to current.
The voltage coil field lags by 90 degrees by using a lag coil.
Due to these two torques eddy currents are produced in the aluminium
discs and discs rotate on a common shaft. Force exerted on the aluminium
disc is proportional to product of instantaneous current and voltage. To
this shaft a gear arrangement is made and a needle is attached to this gear
so when discs rotates this needle moves on dial and counts the number of
rotations of the disc.
Working of three phase energy meter:

A permanent magnet is used to produce a force in opposition and

proportional to the speed of disc. When power is switched off this acts as
break and makes the disc to stop rotating instead of rotating faster. Disc
rotates at a speed proportional to power consumed.

Instantaneous power can be calculated by:

Pi = (3600 * N) / (T * R)

Where,
Pi = Real power being used at that point in time in kW
T = Time (in seconds) for the disc to rotate through the N rotations or part
of a rotation
N = The Number of full rotations counted.
R = The number of revolutions per Kilowatt hour (rev/kWh) of the meter
being used.
 Errors and Compensation -

1. Phase Error: It is necessary that the energy meter should give correct reading on
all power factors, which is only possible when the field setup by shunt magnet lags
behind the applied voltage by 90o. But the flux due to shunt magnet does not lag
behind the applied voltage exactly by 90o because of winding resistance and iron
losses.
Adjustment: The flux in the shunt magnet can be made to lag behind the supply
voltage by exactly 90o by adjusting the position of shading band (or shading ring or
shading coil) placed round the lower part of the control limb of the shunt magnet.
This adjustment is known as lag adjustment or power factor adjustment (or power
factor compensator).

2. Speed Error: Sometimes the speed of the meter is either fast or slow, resulting in
the wrong recording of energy consumption.
Adjustment: An error in the speed of the meter when tested on non-inductive load
can be eliminated by correctly adjusting the position of the brake magnet.
Movement of the brake magnet in the direction of the spindle will reduce the
braking torque and vice-versa.
 Errors and Compensation -

3. Friction Compensation (or) Friction Error: Frictional forces at the rotor bearings
and in the counting (or register) mechanism cause noticeable error especially at
light loads. At light loads, the torque due to friction adds considerably to the
braking torque on the disc rotor. Since, friction torque is not proportional to the
speed but is roughly constant it can cause considerable error in meter reading.

Adjustment: This error can be reduced to an unimportant level by making the ratio
of the shunt magnet flux Φ2 and series magnet flux Φ1 large with the help of two
shading rings (or shading bonds). These bonds embrace the flux contained in the
two outer limb of the shunt magnet and thus eddy currents are induced in them
which cause a phase displacement between the enclosed flux and the main gap
flux. As a result, a small driving torque is exerted on the disc rotor, this torque
being adjusted by variation of the positions of these bands to compensate for
friction in the instrument. Correctness of friction compensation is achieved by
running the meter at high load of about 8 to 10% of full load when the disc should
rotate correctly. Over compensation leads to creep. This adjustment is known as
light load adjustment.
 Errors and Compensation -

4. Creeping: Sometimes the disc of the energy meter makes slow but continuous
rotation at no load i.e. when the potential coil is excited but with no current
flowing in the load. This is called creeping. This error may be caused due to over
compensation for friction, excessive supply voltage, vibrations, stray magnetic
fields etc.
Adjustment: in order to prevent this creeping on no load, two holes or slots are
drilled in the disc on opposite sides of the spindle. This causes sufficient distortion
of the field. The result is that the disc tends to remain stationary when one of the
holes comes under one of the shunt magnet.

5. Temperature Error: The error due to variation in temperature are very small,
because the various effects produced tend to neutralise one another.
The resistance of the disc of the potential coil and characteristics of magnetic
circuit and the strength of break magnet are affected by the changes in
temperature. Therefore, great care is exercised in the design of the meter to
eliminate the errors due to temperature variations.
 Errors and Compensation -

6. Frequency Variations: The meter is designed to give minimum error at a

particular frequency (generally 50 Hz). If the supply frequency changes, the
reactance of the coils also changes, resulting in a small error. Fortunately, this is
not of much significance because commercial frequencies are held within close
limits.

7. Voltage Variations: The error due to variation voltage is very small (usually 0.2%
to 0.3%). This can be eliminated by the proper design of the magnetic circuit of the
shunt magnet.
 TESTING:

The performance tests of an energy meter as per IEC standards are divided
mainly in three segments which include its mechanical aspects, electrical
circuiting, and climatic conditions:
1. Mechanical component tests.
2. Climatic conditions test include those limits which influence the
performance of the meter externally.
3. Electrical requirements covered many tests before giving accuracy
certificate. Under this segment, energy meter is tested for:
•Heating effect
•Proper insulation
•Supply of voltage
•Protection to earth fault
•Electromagnetic compatibility
Electromagnetic Compatibility Test

An electromagnetic compatible test is the most important test which finally

ensures the accuracy of the energy meter. This test is fragmented in two
parts- one is Emission test, and the other is Immunity test.

Emission Test
In an electronic system, there are many components like switching elements,
chokes, circuit layout, rectifying diodes and much more which produce EMI.
This test ensures that the energy meter does not affect the performance of
the nearby instruments and it does not conduct or radiate EMI
(electrpmagnetic interference) beyond a definite limit.
There are two types of emission test based on the EMI escapes from the
system:
•Conducted emission test-In this test, power lead and cables are
checked to measure the EMI escape, and it covers small meter of the
frequency range from 150 kHz to 30 MHz.
•Radiated emission test-This test measures the EMI escape through free
space, and it covers large meters of the frequency range from 31 MHz to
1000MHz.
Immunity Test
The emission test ensures that meter does not work as the source for EMI for other
nearby equipment; similarly immunity test ensures that meter does not work as a
receptor and properly function in the presence of EMI.
Again, immunity tests are of two types based on radiation and conduction.

•Conducted immunity test- These tests ensure that meter’s functioning do

not get disturbed if it is in the blanket of EMI. The electromagnetic
interference source either in contact through data, interface lines, power
lines, or by contact.

•Radiated immunity test- During this test, meter functioning is monitored and
if it gets affected by EMI present in the surrounding area, that fault is
recognized and corrected their only. It also is known as the electromagnetic
high-frequency field test. Radiations generated by sources like small handheld
radio transceivers, transmitters, switches, welders, fluorescent lights,
switches, operating inductive loads etc.