Chris Thomas

1891416

Computer Engineering Technology

and
Electrical Power Technology

ELET 2101
Poly-phase Circuits and Transformers

On-Line Instruction

Experiment 3
Three Phase Power Measurement
© – 2020 University of Houston, College of Technology ELET Labs

© – 2020 University of Houston, College of Technology ELET Labs

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Table of Contents

1 Objective ..................................................................................................................... 3
2 Discussion ................................................................................................................... 3
3 Laboratory procedures................................................................................................. 5
4 Review Questions........................................................................................................ 8

© – 2020 University of Houston, College of Technology ELET Labs

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Experiment 3

Three-Phase Power Measurement

1. OBJECTIVE
• To measure power in a three-phase circuit using the two-wattmeter method.

• To determine the active and reactive power, and the power factor of a three-
phase system.

2. DISCUSSION
A wattmeter, used for measuring power, is an electrodynamometer type instrument.
This meter usually has two coils, one fixed, the other capable of turning in the
magnetic field of the first. The fixed coil is connected in series with the line so as to
carry the line current. The movable coil, which is of high resistance, is connected
across the load (that portion of the circuit in which the power is to be measured). The
small current in the coil is, therefore, proportional to the voltage between these
terminals. This coil turns against a helical spring, and, since torque is proportional
to the product of the values of the currents in the two coils, it is proportional to the
product of the current I and the voltage E. The scale may, therefore, be graduated
directly in watts.

See Figure 47-1. The fixed current coil A si in series with the load, and the movable
voltage coil V is across load. The resulting deflection is directly proportional to the
active power delivered to the load.

Figure 47-1.

If the power delivered by a three-phase, four-wire system is to be measured, we

simply use three single-phase wattmeters connected as shown in Figure 47 -2 and
take the sum of their individual readings.

© – 2020 University of Houston, College of Technology ELET Labs

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 Figure 47-2.

However, on a three-phase, three-were system, only two single phase wattmeters

are required to measure the power. See Figure 47-3. The two current coils carry the
current in two of the lines and the two voltage coils are connected to the one
remaining line. Note that no connection is made to the neutral. The total three-phase
power is equal to the algebraic sum of the two wattmeter readings.

Figure 47-3.

For balanced loads at unity power factor, the indications of the two wattmeters will
be identical. When the load power factor is 50 percent, one meter will indicate zero
and the other will indicate the total three-phase power. At power factors between 50
and 100 percent, one meter will indicate higher power than the other. At power
factors lower than 50 percent, the indication on one of the meters will be negative
and the total three-phase power will be the power indicated by one meter less the
negative indicate power of the other. At zero power factor, the wattmeters will have
identical indications but of opposite signs, indicating zero power. Thus, there is a
definite ratio of meter indications for each value of circuit power factor.

Your Three-Phase Wattmeter is provided with two wattmeters and is pre-wired so

that you only have to connect the three-phase lines to input terminals 1, 2 and 3. The
load connects to the output terminals 4, 5 and 6. Polarity-marked switches show
whether the meter indications are positive or negative.

© – 2020 University of Houston, College of Technology ELET Labs 3-5

 3. PROCEDURE
CAUTION!

High voltages are present in this Experiment! Do not make or

modify any banana jack connections with the power on unless
otherwise specified!

1. Using your Three-Phase Wattmeter, Power Supply, Resistive Load,

AC Ammeter, and AC Voltmeter, connect the circuit shown in Figure 47-4.

Figure 47-4.

2. a. Set the resistance of each section to 300 .

b. Turn on the power supply and adjust the line voltage to 208 V ac as
indicated by voltmeter V1.

c. Measure and record the line current I1 and the power indicated by W1
and W2.

Current and power measurement with a resistive load

© – 2020 University of Houston, College of Technology ELET Labs 3-6
 I1 = 0.400 A ac

P1 = 72.30 W

P2 = 72.16 W

d. Return the voltage to zero and turn off the power supply.

3. a. From the results of (c) calculate the 3 :

Apparent power (E1 x I1 x 1,73) (208)(0.4)(1.73) = 144.07

S = 144.07 VA

Active power P1 + P2 = 72.3 + 72.16 = 144.46

P = 144.46 W

Power factor 144.46/144.07 = 1.0027

PF = 1.0027

b. Is the power factor close to unity? Explain.

Yes

Because the power factor is close to one and because the apparent power is very
close to the active power

4. a. Replace the resistance module with the capacitance module.

b. Set the reactance of each section to 300 .

Current and power measurement with capacitive load

© – 2020 University of Houston, College of Technology ELET Labs 3-7

 c. Repeat procedure 2.

I1 = 0.398 A ac

P1 = 41.52 W

P2 = -41.49 W

P1 + P2 = 0.03 W

d. From the results of (c) calculate the 3 :

Apparent power (0.398)(208)(1.73) = 143.22

S = 143.22 VA

Active power (208)(0.398) = 82.784

P = 82.78 W

© – 2020 University of Houston, College of Technology ELET Labs 3-8

 Power factor 82.78/143.22 = 0.578

PF = 0.578

Reactive power ((143.22^2) - (82.78^2)) ^1/2 =116.87

Q = 116.87 var

5. a. Replace the capacitance module with the inductance module.

b. Set the reactance of each section to 300 .

Reading of current and power with inductive load

c. Repeat procedure 2.

I1 = 0.396 A ac

P1 = -33.67 W

P2 = 33.67 W

P1 + P2 = 0 W

d. From the results of (c) calculate the 3 :

Apparent power (208.1)(1.73)(0.396) = 142.57

S = 142.57 VA

Active power (208.1)(0.396) = 82.41

© – 2020 University of Houston, College of Technology ELET Labs 3-9
 P = 82.41 W

Power factor 82.41/142.57

PF = 0.578

Reactive power ((142.57^2) - (82.41^2)) ^1/2 = 116.34

Q = 116.34 var

4. REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. If two wattmeters are used to measure total power in a three-phase three-wire
system does each meter measure single-phase power? Explain.

Yes
The two-wattmeter method works because the total instantaneous power of
the three loads is equal to the sum of the two wattmeters.

2. What is the significance of a negative indication on a wattmeter?

For a three-phase circuit the negative reading will be due to the change in phase
angle, if angle phi is larger than angle theta then the power will become negative due to
Vab*Ia*cos (theta + phi)

3. Would only one wattmeter be needed to measure the total three-phase power
on a balanced three-phase four-wire system? Explain.

Yes

If the system is balanced then one wattmeter can be used to measure one
phase and that can be multiplied by 3 for the total power.

4. Must you use two wattmeters to measure the total three-phase power on a
balanced three-phase three-wire system? Explain.

No

The total power can be found using the two-wattmeter method, but it can
also be found using one wattmeter and multiplying it by three.

5. Can a wattmeter that has current through its current coil and a potential across
its voltage coil, indicate zero? Explain

Yes
The wattmeter can indicate zero if the power factor between the volts and
amps is zero.
© – 2020 University of Houston, College of Technology ELET Labs 3-10
Conclusion:
The goal of the lab was to learn to use the two-wattmeter method to
measure power in a three-phase system and look at the reactive and real
power across different loads. During the experiment we looked at the power
across the three-phase system with a resistive, capacitive, and an inductive
load. With a purely resistive load the power factor was 1, but when it was a
capacitive load the power factor became 0.578 which was the same as
observed with the inductive load

© – 2020 University of Houston, College of Technology ELET Labs 3-11