Type of AC Potentiometers

1. Polar Type (Drysdale Polar

Potentiometer)

2. Coordinate Type (Gall Tinsley

Coordinate type Potentiometer)

Prepared by Dr. Suman Halder

 Phase Splitting Circuit: Essential
Requirement of AC potentiometers

Phase splitting circuit is requited in AC

potentiometer to make magnitude of currents
of two circuits equal also ensure phase angle
of current in one circuit must differ by 90⁰⁰
with the current in the second circuit.

Prepared by Dr. Suman Halder

 Phase Splitting Circuit: Essential
Requirement of AC potentiometers
In Drysdale polar potentiometer a rotating magnetic
is produced by two stator coil currents equal in
magnitude and phase displaced by 90⁰. ⁰

In Gall Tinsley Coordinate potentiometer the

function of the phase splitting circuit is make
magnitude of currents of in-phase and quadrature
potentiometers equal and to be phase displaced by
90⁰.

Prepared by Dr. Suman Halder

 Circuit Diagram of phase splitting circuit

In both polar and coordinate potentiometer, the equivalent circuit of

phase splitter is given by

Prepared by Dr. Suman Halder

Phasor Diagram of Phase Splitting Circuit

Prepared by Dr. Suman Halder

 Analysis of phase splitting circuit

For current I2 being equal to I1 and also leading by 90⁰ the

necessary condition is
I2= jI1 ------------(1)
Therefore from equivalent circuit , one may write

----(2)

Separating real and imaginary part one may write

R1+ωL2= 1/ωC ---(3) and
ωL1-R2=R ----(4)
Thus phase splitting is adjusted by means of R and C only.

Prepared by Dr. Suman Halder

Drysdale Polar Potentiometer

Prepared by Dr. Suman Halder

 Function of Phase Shifter of Drysdale Polar
Potentiometer
Let the rotor of the phase shifter is making an
angle φ with vertical.

Prepared by Dr. Suman Halder

 Function of Phase Shifter of Drysdale Polar
Potentiometer (Contd)

In phase shifter, two separate windings are

provided which are displaced by 90° in space on
stator. One winding is fed directly from the supply
while the other winding is connected in series with
a variable resistance R and a variable capacitor C

The induced emf in rotor winding by stator winding

1 can be expressed as

Prepared by Dr. Suman Halder

 Function of Phase Shifter of Drysdale Polar
Potentiometer (Contd)
The induced emf in the rotor winding by the stator
winding 2,

From equation (1) and (2), we get

Therefore we observe that position of the rotor is same

phase
Prepared by Dr. Suman Halder
 Principle of operation of Drysdale Potentiometer

1. Firstly, it is standardized w.r.t a standard cell. A transfer t

instrument (EDM type ammeter) is employed to note the
standardization current. At this instant a standard cell is
used in unknown voltage position, vibration galvanometer
is replaced by D Arsonval type Galvanometer, the standard
DC current is noted by putting DC supply as shown in
figure. Thus it is ensured that dial resistor and slide wire
resistor is calibrated in terms of magnitude of the voltage
against a standard cell voltage by variation of rheostat
current.

2. For AC calibration, supply of potentiometer circuit is fed

to rotor. Standard cell is replaced by AC Voltage preferably
AC input to stator coils , Vibration Galvanometer replaced
D Arsonval Galvanometer.
Prepared by Dr. Suman Halder
 Principle of operation of Drysdale Potentiometer
(Contd)
3. Then subsequently varying R and C of the stator coil 2 , it
is observed that the value direct standardization current
same as RMS value for all positions of the rotor. If the
current does not change then AC calibration is complete

4. Now unknown emf is fed to position as marked by

omitting stator supply voltage. Now simultaneous variation
rotor position and slide wire and dial resistor null of the
vibration galvanometer is checked.

5. When null of galvanometer is obtained then summation

of slide wire and dial resistor reading will give the
magnitude of the unknown voltage and rotor position will
give phase of the unknown voltage with respect to supply
voltage of the stator
Prepared by Dr. Suman Halder
Gall Tinsley Coordinate Potentiometer

Prepared by Dr. Suman Halder

 Principle of operation of Gall Tinsley Potentiometer
1. Firstly the in-phase potentiometer is stardadised with DC
current. Then power supplies and galvanometers are
changed for DC calibration. When the in-phase
potentiometer is calibrated for a fixed standard current say
50mA, the quadrature potentiometer dial and slide wire
can be calibrated in terms voltage as construction of in-
phase and quadrature potentiometer being same.

2. AC calibration is performed utilizing AC sources of 6V

RMS, and mutual inductance. If the quadrature
potentiometer carrying current of 50mA RMS, then by
using mutual inductance of 0.0318 henry for 50 z supply
frequency, we can have induced voltage of 0.5V across
mutual secondary.

Prepared by Dr. Suman Halder

 Principle of operation of Gall Tinsley Potentiometer
(Contd)
3. Thirdly this o.5V is applied across in-phase
potentiometer by test position of SW-3 as shown. Null
condition of vibration galvanometer is obtained by
variation R and C of supply-2 of potentiometer circuit. In
this way AC calibration is completed.

4. Then unknown voltage is applied by sw-3. Now in-phase

and quadrature potentiometer are in series. We have to
achieve the balance by varying dial and slide wire along
with their sign changing switches.

5. At balance in-phase potentiometer dial and slide wire

reading along with their sign will give in-phase component
of unknown voltage
Prepared by Dr. Suman Halder
 Principle of operation of Gall Tinsley Potentiometer
(Contd)
Also quadrature potentiometer dial and slide wire reading
along with their sign will give quadrature component of
unknown voltage

Here V1 is the inphase component and V2 is quadrature

component, only positive sign of both voltagesare
considered. Prepared by Dr. Suman Halder
Solve Numerical Problem
1. A Drysdale polar AC potentiometer is employed to measure
power consumption by an electrical load.
The following results are obtained for certain conditions
given below:
Condition1: When potentiometer is connected across
resistance of 0.4Ω connected in series
with load.
Potentiometer reading : 0.8V, Phase shifter reading:30⁰⁰

Condition2: When the potentiometer is used to determine the

voltage across load by using 100:1 voltage ratio box.
Potentiometer reading :2.2V, Phase shifter reading:15⁰

Find the power factor and power consumed by the load

Prepared by Dr. Suman Halder
2. A coordinate Gall Tinsley AC potentiometer is employed to measure
power consumption by an electrical load. The following results are obtained
for certain conditions given below:
Condition1: When potentiometer is connected across series resistance of
0.4Ω with load.
In-phase In-phase In-phase Quadrature Quadrature Quadrature
Potentiometer Potentiometer Potentiometer Potentiometer Potentiometer Potentiometer
Dial resistor slide wire resistor switch position Dial resistor slide wire resistor switch position
reading reading reading reading

0.4 Volt 0.025 Volt positive 0 Volt 0.065Volt negative

Condition2: When the potentiometer is used to determine the voltage across

load by using 100:1 voltage ratio box, following results are obtained.

In-phase In-phase In-phase Quadrature Quadrature Quadrature

Potentiometer Potentiometer Potentiometer Potentiometer Potentiometer Potentiometer
Dial resistor slide wire resistor switch position Dial resistor slide wire resistor switch position
reading reading reading reading
0.7 Volt 0.045 Volt positive 0.8 Volt 0.095Volt Positive.

Find the power factor and power consumed by the load.

Prepared by Dr. Suman Halder

Thank You