Generating Voltmeter

21EE71 – High Voltage Engineering
Measurement of High Voltages

& Currents
• Measurement of High Direct Current Voltages
• Measurement of High AC and Impulse Voltages
• Measurement of High Currents – Direct, Alternating and Impulse
• Cathode Ray Oscillographs for Impulse Voltage and Current Measurements
Measurement of High Voltages
& Currents
• In industrial testing and research laboratories, it is essential
to measure the voltages and currents accurately, ensuring
perfect safety to the personnel and equipment.
• Secondly, linear extrapolation of the devices beyond their
ranges are not valid for high voltage meters and measuring
instruments, and they have to be calibrated for the full range.
• Electromagnetic interference is a serious problem in impulse
voltage and current measurements, and it has to be avoided
or minimized.
• Therefore, even though the principles of measurements may
be same, the devices and instruments for measurement of
high voltages and currents differ vastly from the low voltage
and low current devices.
Measurement of High Direct Current
Voltages
 High Ohmic Series Resistance
Micro Ammeter
 Resistance Potential Divider
 Generating Voltmeter
 Other Methods
Generating Voltmeter
 Introduction
 Principle of Operation
 Construction & Circuit
Operation
 Advantages & Disadvantages
Generating Voltmeter -Construction
 High voltage measuring devices employ generating
principle when source loading is prohibited (as with Van
de Graaff generators, etc.) or when direct connection to
the high voltage source is to be avoided.
 A Generating Voltmeter Principle and Construction is a
variable capacitor electrostatic voltage generator which
generates current proportional to the applied external
voltage.
 The device is driven by an external synchronous or
constant speed motor and does not absorb power or
energy from the voltage measuring source.
Generating Voltmeter -Construction
 The high voltage source is connected to a disc electrode
S3 which is kept at a fixed distance on the axis of the
other low voltage electrodes S0,S1 and S2 .
 The rotor S0 is driven at a constant speed by a
synchronous motor at a suitable speed (1500, 1800,
3000, or 3600 rpm).
Generating Voltmeter – Principle of
 The charge stored inOperation
a capacitor of capacitance C is
given by q = CV. If the capacitance of the capacitor
varies with time when connected to the source of
voltage V, the current through the capacitor
 For Measuring d.c. voltages dV/dt =

0. Hence,
 If
Operation
the capacitance C varies between the limits C and
0
(C0 + Cm) sinusoidally as
 the current i is (Sub C in I and differentiate)
 im, is the peak value of the current. The rms

value of the current is given by:
Operation
 (im, is the peak value of the current). The
rms value of the current is given by:
 For a constant angular frequency, the

current is proportional to the applied
voltage V.
Generating Voltmeter – Working
 It does not draw any power from the source
 4 Different terminals in the form of discs
 Few are fixed, Few are moving
 They are metallic
 It measures the unknown High DC voltage
which is applied across S3 without any
contact and this electrode is also Fixed one
 There is no physical contact between
measuring circuit and the equipment
 S1 is the form of disk and slot cut across. It is a
fixed one
 Also it has a provision to allow motor shaft in the
centre and that shaft also movable
 S2 is the form of disk but no slot cut. It is also
fixed
 But have provision to allow motor shaft in center
 S0 is the rotating electrode.
 It is fixed to the synchronous shaft
 It is at a distance from S2
 The rotor shape is like fan blades
 The Motor is a constant speed Motor
 There is also a rectifier circuit
 More often, the generated current is rectified and
measured by a moving coil meter (Micro Ammeter)
 As only S0 is rotating the electric field lines emerging
from S3 will be cut by S0
 So the variable capacitance will be induced
 And the current will start to flow
 It Consists of rotating cylinder consists of two exciting
field electrodes and a rotating two pole armature driven
by a synchronous motor at a constant speed n.
 The a.c. current flowing between the two halves of the
armature is rectified by a commutator whose arithmetic
mean may be calculated from:
 For a symmetric voltage Cmin = 0. When the voltage is

not symmetrical, one of the electrodes is grounded and
Cmin has a finite value. The factor of proportionality n/30.
ΔC is determined by calibration.
Principle of Working of Generating Voltmeter
 This device can be used for measuring a.c. voltages
provided the speed of the drive-motor is half the
frequency of the voltage to be measured.
 Thus a four-pole synchronous motor with 1500 rpm is
suitable for 50 Hz.
 For peak value measurements, the phase angle of the
motor must also be so adjusted that Cmax and the crest
value occur at the same instant.
 The rotor vanes of S0 cause periodic change in
capacitance between the insulated disc S2 and the h.v.
electrode S3.
 The shape and number of the vanes of S0 and S1 are so
designed that they produce sinusoidal variation in the
capacitance.
 The generated a.c. current through the resistance R is
rectified and read by a moving coil instrument.
 An amplifier is needed if the shunt capacitance is large
or longer leads are used for connection to rectifier and
meter.
 The instrument is calibrated using a potential divider or
sphere gap. The meter scale is linear and its range can
be extended by extrapolation.
Advantages of Generating Voltmeters:
 no source loading by the meter,
 no direct connection to high voltage electrode,
 scale is linear and extension of range is easy, and
 a very convenient instrument for electrostatic devices
such as Van de Graaff generator and particle
accelerators.
Disadvantages of Generating Voltmeters:
 They require calibration,
 Careful construction is needed and is a
cumbersome instrument requiring an auxiliary
drive
 Disturbance in position and mounting of the
electrode make the calibration invalid.

Generating Voltmeter

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Generating Voltmeter

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21EE71 – High Voltage Engineering

Measurement of High Voltages

 For Measuring d.c. voltages dV/dt =

 the current i is (Sub C in I and differentiate)

 im, is the peak value of the current. The rms

 For a constant angular frequency, the

 For a symmetric voltage Cmin = 0. When the voltage is

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