UNIT I
Chapter II
Bridges (DC and AC)
By
Mrs. Rijhi Dey
Assistant Professor
ECE Dept.
Contact No. : 9831854812
Types of Bridges
We can classify the bridge circuits or bridges into the
following two categories based on the voltage signal
with which those can be operated.
DC Bridges
AC Bridges
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What is Bridge?
Bridge, in electrical measurement, instrument for
measuring electrical quantities.
If the electrical components are arranged in the form
a bridge or ring structure, then that electrical circuit
is called a bridge.
In general, bridge forms a loop with a set of four
arms or branches. Each branch may contain one or two
electrical components.
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DC Bridges
If the bridge circuit can be operated with only DC
voltage signal, then it is a DC bridge circuit or simply DC
bridge. DC bridges are used to measure the value of
unknown resistance.
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Wheatstone Bridge
Wheatstone bridge, also known as the resistance
bridge, calculates the unknown resistance by balancing
two legs of the bridge circuit. One leg includes the
component of unknown resistance.
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The current enters the galvanometer and divides into two
equal magnitude currents as I1 and I2. The following
condition exists when the current through a galvanometer is
zero,
I1P=I2R--------- (1)
The currents in the bridge, in a balanced condition, is
expressed as follows:
I1=I3=E/(P+Q) ---------- (2)
I2=I4=E/(R+S) ---------- (3)
Here, E is the emf of the battery.
By substituting the value of I1 and I2 in equation (1), we get
PE/(P+Q)=RE/(R+S) ----------- (4)
PR+PS=RP+RQ
PS=RQ
R=PS/Q
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is Wheatstone Bridge?
2. What is the Wheatstone Bridge Principle?
3. When is the Wheatstone Bridge balanced?
4. When is the Wheatstone Bridge said to be unbalanced?
5. What are the applications of Wheatstone Bridge?
6. What are the limitations of Wheatstone Bridge?
7. The ratio arms of a Wheatstone bridge has resistances equal to 100
Ω and 10 Ω. An unknown resistor is connected to the fourth arm.
What should be the value of the unknown resistance if the third arm
has a resistance of 153 Ω in a balanced condition? The unknown
resistance is 15.3Ω
8. The four resistances of a Wheatstone bridge are 100Ω, 10Ω, 300Ω
and 30Ω. if the bridge is connected to a 1.5 V battery, what are the
currents through individual resistors? The current through the 100Ω
and 10Ω resistors is 0.0136 A whereas the current through the
300Ω and 30Ω resistors is 0.00457 A.
Maxwell’s Inductance Bridge
*In the Maxwell’s inductance bridge ,there are two pure
resistances used for balance relations but on other
side or arms the two known impedances are used.
*The known impedances and the resistances make the
unknown impedances as Z1 and [Link] a network is
known as Maxwell’s A.C. Bridge. As shown in fig.
(R1 + jwL1 )R3 = (R4 + jwL4 )R2
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Phasor Diagram of Maxwell’s
Inductance Bridge
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Maxwell – Wien Bridge or Maxwell’s
L/C Bridge
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Phasor diagram of Maxwell – Wien
Bridge or Maxwell’s L/C Bridge
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De Sauty Bridge
We will consider only De Sauty bridge method of comparing
two capacitances and Schering bridge used for the
measurement of capacitance and dielectric loss.
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Phasor Diagram De Sauty Bridge
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Schering Bridge
It is one of the very important and useful methods of
measuring the capacitance and dielectric loss of a
capacitor. In fact, it is a device for comparing an
imperfect capacitor C2 in terms of a loss free standard
capacitor.
C3 = C2 ( R1 / R2 )
R3 = R2 ( C1 / C2 )
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Phasor Diagram Schering Bridge
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Anderson’s Bridge
The Anderson’s bridge gives the accurate measurement of
self-inductance of the circuit. In Anderson bridge, the
unknown inductance is compared with the standard fixed
capacitance which is connected between the two arms of
the bridge.
* Let, L1 – unknown inductance having a
resistance R1. R2, R3, R4 –
known non- inductive resistance C4 –
standard capacitor. At balance
Now,
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Anderson’s Bridge
The other balance condition equation is expressed as
By substituting the value of Ic in the above equation we get,
and
on equating the equation, we get
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Anderson’s Bridge
Equating the real and the imaginary part, we get
Phasor Diagram of Anderson’s Bridge
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