Electrical Instrumentations and Measurements

[ELC 213]- Fall 2022

Lecture #6

Dr. Hany S. E. Mansour

Electrical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Suez Canal University
Email: hany_salem@eng.suez.edu.eg
Phone: 010 243 27 200
DC and Ac Bridges
➢ Used to measure values of all electric components including, resistance, inductance and

capacitance.

➢ They are the most accurate devices for the measurements of resistance and impedance.

➢ Bridges have four arms with different elements, an indicator and a dc or ac source.

➢ A sensitive milliammeter or microammeter with centre zero position setting, called a

galvanometer, are used.

➢ It depends on an instrument reading being adjusted to read zero current only.

➢ If there is no deflection, no current flows.

Dr. Hany S. E. Mansour Electrical Instrumentations and Measurements Lec. #6 2
Wheatstone Bridges

➢ It is used for medium resistance measurement.

➢ The current through the galvanometer depends on the

potential difference between points 1 and 2.

➢ The bridge is said to be balanced when the potential

difference across the galvanometer is 0 V so that there is

no current through the galvanometer.

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Wheatstone Bridges

➢ Zero indication occurs when VRa is equal to VRX.

➢ The balance is independent on the supply voltage.

➢ The resistances R1 and R2 are precision devices of known

value.

➢ The resistance Ra is an adjustable resistance to reach the

bridge-balanced condition.

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Wheatstone Bridges
➢ Under balance condition:

𝐼1 𝑅1 = 𝐼2 𝑅2 𝐼𝑎 𝑅𝑎 = 𝐼𝑋 𝑅𝑋
➢ The current I1 is equal to Ia

➢ The current I2 is equal to Ix

𝐼1 𝑅1 = 𝐼2 𝑅2 𝐼1 𝑅𝑎 = 𝐼2 𝑅𝑋

𝑅1 𝑅2
=
𝑅𝑎 𝑅𝑋

Dr. Hany S. E. Mansour Electrical Instrumentations and Measurements Lec. #6 5

Wheatstone Bridges
𝑅1 𝑅2 𝑅𝑎 𝑅2
= 𝑅𝑋 =
𝑅𝑎 𝑅𝑋 𝑅1

➢ The standard adjustable resistor is called the rheostat.

➢ The other two resistors are called the ratio arms.

➢ The accuracy of the resistance measurement can reach 99.5%.

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Example 1

➢ In a Wheatstone bridge ABCD, a galvanometer is

connected between A and C, and a battery between B

and D. A resistor of unknown value is connected

between A and B. When the bridge is balanced, the

resistance between B and C is 100 Ω, that between C

and D is 10 Ω, and that between D and A is 400 Ω.

Calculate the value of the unknown resistance.

Dr. Hany S. E. Mansour Electrical Instrumentations and Measurements Lec. #6 7
Example 1

➢ The balance equation is given as:

𝑅𝑋 ∗ 10 = 100 ∗ 400

𝑅𝑋 = 4000 Ω

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AC Bridges

➢ The magnitude and the angle have to be considered.

➢ The balance gives two equations to get two unknowns.

➢ The ac bridge consists of four impedance arms, ac source and a null detector.

➢ Two conditions should be fulfilled: the first is related to the magnitude and the

other is related to phase angle.

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AC Bridges

𝑍1 𝑍𝑋 = 𝑍𝑎 𝑍2
𝑍𝑎 𝑍2
𝑍𝑋 =
𝑍1

𝑍𝑎 𝑍2
𝑍𝑋 =
𝑍1

𝜃𝑧𝑥 = 𝜃𝑧𝑎 + 𝜃𝑧2 - 𝜃𝑧1

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AC Bridges

➢ To get the balance equations of ac bridges circuit:

(i) Determine the impedance in each arm in complex form and write down the balance

equation.

(ii) You may need to use XL and Xc instead of 𝜔𝐿 or 1/𝜔C.

(iii) Isolate the unknown terms on the left-hand side of the equation in the form a + jb.

(iv) Augment the terms on the right-hand side of the equation into the form c + jd.

(v) Equate the real parts a = c, and the imaginary parts b = d.

Dr. Hany S. E. Mansour Electrical Instrumentations and Measurements Lec. #6 11

AC Bridges

➢ It will not be enough to achieve a balance regarding only the impedance

magnitudes without phase angles.

➢ The standard component has to be adjusted until the null detector device

indicates zero reading.

➢ The value of the unknown component can be determined directly from the

setting of the calibrated standard using some mathematical calculations.

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Inductive comparison bridge “simple Maxwell bridge”
➢ Used to determine the value of unknown impedance

containing an inductance.

𝑍1 = 𝑅1 𝑍2 = 𝑅2
𝑍3 = 𝑅𝑠 + 𝑗𝜔𝐿𝑠 𝑍4 = 𝑅𝑋 + 𝑗𝜔𝐿𝑋

𝑍1 𝑍4 = 𝑍2 𝑍3

𝑅1 (𝑅𝑋 + 𝑗𝜔𝐿𝑋 ) = 𝑅2 (𝑅𝑠 + 𝑗𝜔𝐿𝑠 ) 𝑅2 𝑅𝑠

𝑅𝑋 =
𝑅1
𝑅1 𝑅𝑋 + 𝑗𝜔𝑅1 𝐿𝑋 = 𝑅2 𝑅𝑠 + 𝑗𝜔𝑅2 𝐿𝑠 )
𝑅2 𝐿𝑠
𝐿𝑋 =
𝑅1 𝑅𝑋 = 𝑅2 𝑅𝑠 𝜔𝑅1 𝐿𝑋 = 𝜔𝑅2 𝐿𝑠 𝑅1
Dr. Hany S. E. Mansour Electrical Instrumentations and Measurements Lec. #6 13
Capacitance Comparison Bridge
➢ Used to determine the value of unknown impedance

comprising a resistance and capacitance in series.

𝑍1 = 𝑅1 𝑍2 = 𝑅2
1 1
𝑍3 = 𝑅𝑠 − 𝑗 𝑍4 = 𝑅𝑋 − 𝑗
𝜔𝐶𝑠 𝜔𝐶𝑋
𝑍1 𝑍4 = 𝑍2 𝑍3
1 1
𝑅1 (𝑅𝑋 − 𝑗 ) = 𝑅2 (𝑅𝑠 − 𝑗 )
𝜔𝐶𝑋 𝜔𝐶𝑠 𝑅2 𝑅𝑠
𝑅1 𝑅2 𝑅𝑋 =
𝑅1
𝑅1 𝑅𝑋 − 𝑗 = 𝑅2 𝑅𝑠 − 𝑗
𝜔𝐶𝑋 𝜔𝐶𝑠 𝑅1 𝐶𝑠
−𝑅1 −𝑅2
= 𝐶𝑋 =
𝑅1 𝑅𝑋 = 𝑅2 𝑅𝑠 𝜔𝐶𝑋 𝜔𝐶𝑠 𝑅2
Dr. Hany S. E. Mansour Electrical Instrumentations and Measurements Lec. #6 14
The Hay Bridge
➢ Used to measure the resistance and inductance of a

coil having a very high 𝜔𝐿/R ratio.

1
𝑍1 = 𝑅1 − 𝑗 𝑍2 = 𝑅2
𝜔𝐶1
𝑍3 = 𝑅3 𝑍4 = 𝑅𝑋 + 𝑗𝜔𝐿𝑋
𝑍1 𝑍4 = 𝑍2 𝑍3
1
(𝑅1 − 𝑗 )(𝑅𝑋 + 𝑗𝜔𝐿𝑋 ) = 𝑅2 𝑅3 𝑅𝑋
𝜔𝐶1
𝜔𝐿𝑋 𝑅1 − =0
𝐿𝑋 𝜔𝐶1
𝑅1 𝑅𝑋 + = 𝑅2 𝑅3
𝐶1 𝑅𝑋
𝐿𝑋 = 2
𝑅1 𝑅𝑋 𝐶1 + 𝐿𝑋 = 𝑅2 𝑅3 𝐶1 𝜔 𝐶1 𝑅1
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The Hay Bridge
𝑅2 𝑅3 𝐶1
𝑅𝑋 =
1
𝑅1 𝐶1 + 2
𝜔 𝐶1 𝑅1

𝜔2 𝐶12 𝑅1 𝑅2 𝑅3
𝑅𝑋 =
1 + 𝜔 2 𝐶12 𝑅1

𝐶1 𝑅2 𝑅3
𝐿𝑋 =
1 + 𝜔 2 𝐶12 𝑅12

➢ The bridge is frequency dependent.

Dr. Hany S. E. Mansour Electrical Instrumentations and Measurements Lec. #6 16

The Maxwell-Wien Bridge

➢ It is used to measure the resistance and inductance of

a coil having a low or medium 𝜔𝐿/R ratio.

𝑍1 = 𝑅1 || (-𝑗𝑋𝐶 ) 𝑍2 = 𝑅2
𝑍3 = 𝑅3 𝑍4 = 𝑅𝑋 + 𝑗𝜔𝐿𝑋
1
𝑌1 = + 𝑗𝜔𝐶1
𝑅1
𝑍4 = 𝑍2 𝑍3 𝑌1 𝑅2 𝑅3
𝑅𝑋 =
𝑅1
1
𝑅𝑋 + 𝑗𝜔𝐿𝑋 = 𝑅2 𝑅3 ( + 𝑗𝜔𝐶1 ) 𝐿𝑋 = 𝑅2 𝑅3 𝐶1
𝑅1

Dr. Hany S. E. Mansour Electrical Instrumentations and Measurements Lec. #6 17

The Schering Bridge

➢ It is used to measure the capacitance and equivalent

series resistance of a capacitor.

➢ It can be used also to measure the power factor of an

insulating materials.

➢ The dielectric loss may be determined for any

insulating materials from these calculations.

Dr. Hany S. E. Mansour Electrical Instrumentations and Measurements Lec. #6 18

The Schering Bridge
𝑍1 = 𝑅1 || (-𝑗𝑋𝐶 ) 𝑍2 = 𝑅2
1 1
𝑍3 = 𝑍4 = 𝑅𝑋 +
𝑗𝜔𝐶3 𝑗𝜔𝐶𝑋
1
𝑌1 = + 𝑗𝜔𝐶1
𝑅1
𝑍4 = 𝑍2 𝑍3 𝑌1
1 𝑅2 1 1 𝑅2
𝑅𝑋 + = ( + 𝑗𝜔𝐶1 ) =
𝑗𝜔𝐶𝑋 𝑗𝜔𝐶3 𝑅1 𝑗𝜔𝐶𝑋 𝑗𝜔𝑅1 𝐶3

𝐶1 𝑅2 𝑅1 𝐶3
𝑅𝑋 = 𝐶𝑋 =
𝐶3 𝑅2
Dr. Hany S. E. Mansour Electrical Instrumentations and Measurements Lec. #6 19
The Owen Bridge
➢ It is used to measure the resistance and inductance of

a coil having a large value of inductance.

1 1
𝑍1 = 𝑍2 = 𝑅2 +
𝑗𝜔𝐶1 𝑗𝜔𝐶2
𝑍3 = 𝑅𝑋 + 𝑗𝜔𝐿𝑋 𝑍4 = 𝑅4

1 1 𝐶1 𝑅4
(𝑅𝑋 + 𝑗𝜔𝐿𝑋 ) = 𝑅4 (𝑅2 + ) 𝑅𝑋 =
𝑗𝜔𝐶1 𝑗𝜔𝐶2 𝐶2
𝐶1 𝐿𝑋 = 𝐶1 𝑅2 𝑅4
(𝑅𝑋 + 𝑗𝜔𝐿𝑋 ) = 𝑅4 (𝑗𝜔𝐶1 𝑅2 + )
𝐶2
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