Wattmeter (redirected from Watt meter)

Wattmeter

An instrument that measures electric power. See Electric power measurement

A variety of wattmeters are available to measure the power in ac circuits. They are generally classified by names descriptive of their operating principles. Determination of power in dc circuits is almost always done by separate measurements of voltage and current. However, some of the instruments described will also function in dc circuits, if desired.

Probably the most useful instrument in the measurement of ac power at commercial frequencies is the indicating (deflecting) electrodynamic wattmeter. It is similar in principle to the double-coil dc ammeter or voltmeter in that it depends on the interaction of the fields of two sets of coils, one fixed and the other movable. The moving coil is suspended, or pivoted, so that it is free to rotate through a limited angle about an axis perpendicular to that of the fixed coils. As a single-phase wattmeter, the moving (potential) coil, usually constructed of fine wire, carries a current proportional to the voltage applied to the measured circuit, and the fixed (current) coils carry the load current. This arrangement of coils is due to the practical necessity of designing current coils of relatively heavy conductors to carry large values of current. The potential coil can be lighter because the operating current is limited to low values. See Ammeter, Voltmeter

A thermal converter consists of a resistive heater in close thermal contact with one or more thermocouples. When current flows through the heater, the temperature rises. Thermocouples give an output voltage proportional to the temperature difference between their junctions, in this case proportional to the square of the current, and so make suitable transducers for the construction of thermal wattmeters. See Thermal converters, Thermocouple, Thermoelectricity

The electrostatic force between two conductors is proportional to the product of the square of the potential difference between them and the rate of change of capacitance with displacement. A differential electrostatic instrument may therefore be used to construct a quarter-squares wattmeter. In spite of the problems of matching the capacitance changes of the two elements and the small forces available, electrostatic wattmeters were used as standards for many years.

Digital wattmeters combine the advantages of electronic signal processing and a high-resolution, easily read display. Electrical readout of the measurement is also possible. A variety of electronic techniques for carrying out the necessary multiplication of the signals representing the current and voltage have been used. Usually the electronic multiplier is an analog system which gives as its output a voltage proportional to the power indication required. This voltage is then converted into digital form in one of the standard ways. Many of the multipliers were originally developed for use in analog computers. See Analog computer

The instruments described are designed for single-phase power measurement. In polyphase circuits, the total power is the algebraic sum of the power in each phase. This summation is assisted by simple modifications of single-phase instruments. See Alternating current