measurement in electric panel

To run a system smoothly, routine testing, monitoring and metering is required. Basically, electrical and electronic circuit requires voltage and current. For proper operation and consistency, it is essential to maintain and monitor the correct value of voltage and current. For this purpose, testing and metering is mounted on the panels.

Testing-Testing is checking how well the system is working. Testing is the checkpoint in the overall process to determine whether objectives are being met.

Types of Testing in a Control Panel- Various types of testing are performed in a control panel system, such as testing power supply, and testing Current Transformer (CT) and Potential Transformer (PT). High tension lines and sub-stations have very high voltage. The voltage could be as high as 11kV, 33kV, 66kV. To measure such high voltage, a current transformer and voltage or potential transformer is used. Current transformer is used to measure heavy current in high tension lines, low tension lines and sub-stations.

Construction of a current transformer- A current transformer has one winding, which is called secondary winding, The phase wire of high tension line acts as the primary winding, this current transformer acts as a step up transformer, which increases the voltage. Therefore, in the secondary winding of a step up transformer, the voltage is high, but current is low. Ammeter, which measures the current, is connected in the secondary winding of the transformer.

Working of a Current Transformer- High tension lines act as a primary coil of transformer and are not curved. They are kept straight in space, While the secondary winding in a current transformer makes up a step up transformer, in secondary winding, the voltage is high and current is low. This results in low current at the secondary winding of the transformer. This makes the current measurable with an ammeter

Potential Transformer- Potential transformer has high measuring capabilities. It is used to measure the high voltage of high tension lines, low tension lines, and sub-stations.

Construction of a potential transformer- A potential transformer is a step down transformer. It has two windings, primary and secondary. Primary winding has more coils compared to secondary winding. Working of a potential transformer: in the electrical system, there are two wires. One is a phase/live wire and other is neutral. primary coil of a potential transformer connected parallel to the supply. One end of the primary winding is connected to the phase wires and the other end to the neutral wire. In the secondary winding a voltmeter is connected that will measure voltage in the secondary.

What is testing Energy Meter ?

Energy meters are used in houses, malls, industries, etc., to measures electricity consumption. For better reliability, energy meters, have to pass through various electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) tests where meters are compared under various normal and abnormal conditions, in a laboratory, to ensure its accuracy in the field.

Standard Tests for Energy Meters

Mechanical aspects test the components.
Climatic conditions test include those limits, which influence the performance of the meter externally.
Electrical circuit test the continuity of the circuit.