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Basic Classification of Measuring Instruments

There are three main classifications of measuring instruments: 1. Mechanical instruments are reliable for static conditions but cannot respond rapidly to dynamic changes. 2. Electrical instruments use electrical methods for faster response than mechanical, but still rely on mechanical meter movements. 3. Electronic instruments have the fastest response, such as an oscilloscope capable of nanosecond resolution. Instruments are also classified as absolute/primary or secondary. Absolute instruments directly indicate values using physical constants, while secondary instruments must be calibrated against an absolute standard. Secondary instruments are more commonly used for practical measurements.

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Yogesh Kute
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3K views

Basic Classification of Measuring Instruments

There are three main classifications of measuring instruments: 1. Mechanical instruments are reliable for static conditions but cannot respond rapidly to dynamic changes. 2. Electrical instruments use electrical methods for faster response than mechanical, but still rely on mechanical meter movements. 3. Electronic instruments have the fastest response, such as an oscilloscope capable of nanosecond resolution. Instruments are also classified as absolute/primary or secondary. Absolute instruments directly indicate values using physical constants, while secondary instruments must be calibrated against an absolute standard. Secondary instruments are more commonly used for practical measurements.

Uploaded by

Yogesh Kute
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Basic classification of measuring instruments:

1. Mechanical instruments:- They are very reliable for static


and stable conditions. The disadvantage is they are unable to
respond rapidly to measurement of dynamic and transient
conditions.

2. Electrical instruments:- Electrical methods of indicating the


output of detectors are more rapid than mechanical methods.
The electrical system normally depends upon a mechanical meter
movement as indicating device.

3. Electronic instruments:- These instruments have very fast


response. For example a cathode ray oscilloscope (CRO) is
capable to follow dynamic and transient changes of the order of
few nano seconds (10-9 sec).

Other classification of instruments:-

1. Absolute instruments or Primary Instruments:- These


instruments gives the magnitude of quantity under measurement in
terms of physical constants of the instrument e.g. Tangent
Galvanometer. These instruments do not require comparison with any
other standard instrument

• These instruments give the value of the electrical quantity in terms


of absolute quantities (or some constants) of the instruments and
their deflections.
• In this type of instruments no calibration or comparison with other
instruments is necessary.
• They are generally not used in laboratories and are seldom used in
practice by electricians and engineers. They are mostly used as
means of standard measurements and are maintained lay national
laboratories and similar institutions.
• SSome of the examples of absolute instruments are:

* Tangent galvanometer
* Raleigh current balance
* Absolute electrometer

2. Secondary instruments:-These instruments are so constructed


that the quantity being measured can only be determined by the
output indicated by the instrument. These instruments are
calibrated by comparison with an absolute instrument or another
secondary instrument, which has already been calibrated against an
absolute instrument.

Working with absolute instruments for routine work is time


consuming since every time a measurement is made, it takes a lot of
time to compute the magnitude of quantity under measurement.
Therefore secondary instruments are most commonly used.

• They are direct reading instruments. The quantity to be


measured by these instruments can be determined from the
deflection of the instruments.
• They are often calibrated by comparing them with either some
absolute instruments or with those which have already been
calibrated.

• The deflections obtained with secondary instruments will be


meaningless untill it is not calibrated.
• These instruments are used in general for all laboratory
purposes.
• Some of the very widely used secondary instruments are:
ammeters, voltmeter, wattmeter, energy meter (watt-hour
meter), ampere-hour meters etc.

Classification of Secondary Instruments:


(a) Classification based on the various effects of electric
current (or voltage) upon which their operation depend. They
are:

• Magnetic effect: Used in ammeters, voltmeters, watt-


meters, integrating meters etc.
• Heating effect: Used in ammeters and voltmeters.
• Chemical effect: Used in dc ampere hour meters.
• Electrostatic effect: Used in voltmeters.
• Electromagnetic induction effect: Used in ac ammeters,
voltmeters, watt meters and integrating meters.
Generally the magnetic effect and the
electromagnetic induction effect are utilized for the
construction of the commercial instruments. Some of the
instruments are also named based on the above effect such
as electrostatic voltmeter, induction instruments, etc.

(b) Classification based on the Nature of their Operations

We have the following instruments.


• Indicating instruments: Indicating instruments indicate,
generally the quantity to be measured by means of a
pointer which moves on a scale. Examples are ammeter,
voltmeter, wattmeter etc.

• Recording instruments: These instruments record


continuously the variation of any electrical quantity with
respect to time. In principle, these are indicating
instruments but so arranged that a permanent continuous
record of the indication is made on a chart or dial. The
recording is generally made by a pen on a graph paper which
is rotated on a dice or drum at a uniform speed. The
amount of the quantity at any time (instant) may be read
from the traced chart. Any variation in the quantity with
time is recorded by these instruments. Any electrical
quantity like current, voltage, power etc., (which may be
measured lay the indicating instruments) may be arranged
to be recorded by a suitable recording mechanism.

• Integrating instruments: These instruments record the


consumption of the total quantity of electricity, energy
etc., during a particular period of time. That is, these
instruments totalize events over a specified period of time.
No indication of the rate or variation or the amount at a
particular instant are available from them. Some widely
used integrating instruments are: Ampere-hour meter:
kilowatthour (kWh) meter, kilovolt-ampere-hour
(kVARh) meter.

(c) Classification based on the Kind of Current that can be


Measurand.

Under this heading, we have:

• Direct current (dc) instruments

• Alternating current (ac) instruments

• Both direct current and alternating current instruments


(dc/ac instruments).

(d) Classification based on the method used.

Under this category, we have:

• Direct measuring instruments: These instruments


converts the energy of the measured quantity directly into
energy that actuates the instrument and the value of the
unknown quantity is measured or displayed or recorded
directly. These instruments are most widely used in
engineering practice because they are simple and
inexpensive. Also, time involved in the measurement is
shortest. Examples are Ammeter, Voltmeter, Watt meter
etc.

• Comparison instruments: These instruments measure the


unknown quantity by comparison with a standard. Examples
are dc and ac bridges and potentiometers. They are used
when a higher accuracy of measurements is desired.

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