LAB EXPERIMENT: 01

Name: _________________ Roll No: ______________

Date: _________________ Marks: ______________

Clamp meter
Objective:
To interpret the working of Clamp-meter and to measure the current flowing through
conductor.

Apparatus:

Theory:
In electrical and electronic engineering, a current clamp or current probe is an electrical
device having jaws which open to allow clamping around an electrical conductor. This
allows measurement of the current in a conductor without the need to make physical
contact with it, or to disconnect it for insertion through the probe. Current clamps are
typically used to read the magnitude of AC and, with additional instrumentation, the
phase and waveform can also be measured. Some clamps meters can measure currents of
1000 A and more. Half effect and Vane type clamps can also measure DC.
 Figure 3.1 Circuit Diagram

Originally designed as a single-purpose tool for measuring AC current, clamp meters

now include inputs for accepting test leads and other probes that support a wide range of
electrical measurements. Indispensable as a test tool, the jaws of a clamp meter facilitate

work in tight spaces and permits current measurements on live conductors without circuit
interruption. Though clamp meters are closely related to multimeters, they are not simply
multimeters with inductive jaws replacing test leads. Generally, multimeters can be seen
as voltage-measuring instruments with some current-measuring ability while clamp
 Figure 3.2 Clamp meter

meters are current-measuring instruments with some voltage-measuring ability. A

clampmeter measures the vector sum of the currents flowing in all the conductors passing
through the probe, which depends on the phase relationship of the currents. Only one
conductor is normally passed through the probe. In particular if the clamp is closed
around a two-conductor cable carrying power to equipment, the same current flows down
one conductor and up the other; the meter correctly reads a net current of zero. As
electrical cables for equipment have both insulated conductors (and possibly an earth
wire) bonded together, clamp meters are often used with what is essentially a short
extension cord with the two conductors separated, so that the clamp can be placed around
only one conductor of this extension.

Procedure:
In general AC clamp meters operate on the principle of current transformer (CT) used to
pick up magnetic flux generated as a result of current flowing through a conductor.
Assuming a current flowing through a conductor to be the primary current, you can
obtain a current proportional to the primary current by electromagnetic induction from
the secondary side (winding) of the transformer which is connected to a measuring circuit
of the instrument. This permits you to take an AC current reading on the digital display
(in the case of digital clamp meters).
 Figure 3.3 how clamp meter works?

Exercise
Q1: Are clamp meters as accurate as multimeters?

Q2: What are the two types of clamp meter?

Q3: Which law is used in clamp meter? Explain it.

Q4: Write the basic parts of clamp meter.

Q5: What is the other name of clamp meter?

Calculation:
In this lab we calculated the value of current following through conductor.
Conclusion: