POWER FACTOR METER

The instrument used for the measurement of power

factor is known as power factor meter
Power factor may be defined as
I. Cosine of the angle between voltage and current
II. The ratio of true power and apparent power
V.I.cos / V.I.

POWER FACTOR METER

Fig shows an arrangement for finding the power factor of the load. The true
power is measured by a wattmeter and the apparent power is calculated by the
product of voltage and current, therefore the power factor of a single phase
circuit can be calculated by noting down the reading of wattmeter, voltmeter
and ammeter respectively.
Power factor meter have two circuit namely current circuit and pressure
circuit. The current circuit carries the load current or fraction of a load current
whose power factor is to be determined and pressure circuit is split up into
two parallel circuit, one circuit is non inductive and the other is inductive.
The deflection of the instrument depend upon the phase difference of the load
current and the currents in the two branches of the pressure circuit i.e. upon
the p.f. of the load

General construction of any power factor meter circuit include two coils pressure coil
and current coil. Pressure coil is connected across the circuit while current coil is
connected such it can carry circuit current or a definite fraction of current, by
measuring the phase difference between the voltage and current the electrical power
factor can be calculated on suitable calibrated scale. Usually the pressure coil is
splits into two parts namely inductive and non-inductive part or pure resistive part.
There is no requirement of controlling system because at equilibrium there exist two
opposite forces which balance the movement of pointer without any requirement of
controlling force.

There are two types of power factor meters(1) Electrodynamometer type and
(2) Moving iron type

Power Factor meter

Electrodynamometer Type
Power Factor Meter
In
electrodynamometer
type power factor meter
there are further two types
on the basis of supply
voltage
(1) Single phase
(2) Three phase.

SINGLE PHASE DYNAMOMETER TYPE

POWER FACTOR METER

I.
II.
.
.

It consist of two circuit

Current circuit
Pressure circuit
Current circuit consist of two fixed coil CC connected in series with the load and
carries the load current . The pressure circuit also consist of two identical coil P1 and
P2 of fine wire pivoted at the same spindle and both are fixed at 90* to each other .
The pressure circuit coil P1 is connected across the supply ends through a non
inductive resistance R and pressure circuit coil P2 is connected across the supply
terminals through an inductance L.

SINGLE PHASE DYNAMOMETER TYPE

POWER FACTOR METER

The value of resistance and inductance are so selected, that for normal
frequency, the current in both the pressure coil P1 and P2 are same.
Since the current in both the pressure coils is the same, therfore they
will produce equally strong magnetic field which are 90* displaced
from each other.
If the phase displacement is not exactly 90* it can be compensated by
making mechanical angle between the two axis of coils P1 and P2
equal to electrical angle of difference between the two currents
The pressure coil P1 and P2 form the moving system and they move
together. A pointer is also attached with the moving system which
indicates the power factor of the circuit directly. The instrument has
no controlling torque therefore the pointer remain in its deflected
position

SINGLE PHASE DYNAMOMETER TYPE

POWER FACTOR METER

WORKING:
When the instrument is connected in the load circuit,
current flows through the current coil CC and pressure
coil P1 and P2.
The magnetic field is set up by all these four coils, due
to the interaction of the fluxes, the turning moment or
torque is produced.
The moving coil start moving and turn to such a
position that the resultant torque experienced by these
coil is zero.

SINGLE PHASE DYNAMOMETER TYPE

POWER FACTOR METER
a. Unity power factor: when the instrument is connected
in the load circuit having unity power factor. The
current in pressure coil P1 will be in phase with the
load current or current in current coilCC and the current
in pressure coil P2 will lag by 90* behind the voltage or
behind the current in current coil CC. the coil P1,
therfore will experience a turning moment and will
adjust itself at a perpendicular to axis of CC and the
pointer will indicate unity power factor

SINGLE PHASE DYNAMOMETER TYPE

POWER FACTOR METER
b. Lagging power factor: when the instrument is connected in
the load circuit having lagging power factor, in this case
both the pressure coil P1 and P2 would experience turning
moment in opposite direction and therefore, the moving
system will adjust itself at a position in between 0 and 1
depending upon the value.
c. Leading power factor : when the instrument is connected in
the load circuit having leading power factor, in this case,
the polarity of field in current coil is reversed of that
considered above. Hence the moving system takes up an
intermediate position on the leading side in between 0 and 1

Power factor meter

Advantages of Electrodynamic Type Power Factor Meters

(1) Losses are less because of minimum use of iron parts and
also give less error over a small range of frequency as compared
to moving iron type instruments.
(2) They high torque is to weight ratio.
Disadvantages of Electrodynamic Type Power Factor
Meters
(1) Working forces are small as compared to moving iron type
instruments.
(2) Scale is not extended over 360.
(3) Calibration of electrodynamometer type instruments are
highly affected by the changing the supply voltage frequency.
(4) They are quite costly as compared to other instruments.

Three phase dynamometer type

power factor meter

Rotating field type moving

iron

Nalder lipman power factor meter