Development of Precision High Speed AC Power Monitoring Device for Power Regulation and Control

Precision measurement of AC power at conversion rates comparable to the driving frequency is a challenging task but is a desirable feature in applications involving regulation of power, loaded on a device. Practically, the application assumes significance, typically in developing a test-bench for characterization of a power generation system such as engine (DG set), or to measure and manage the power load in a specified pattern. A good analysis of demands and deliveries of power loads require capturing of transient responses, leading to a need for faster conversion rates in the measurement. Since the AC power measurement involves RMS integration, known to be inherently a slower process, the transient phenomena like a step loading tends to get smudged during measurement and often could lose its identity. It is known that typical conversion rates of commercially available power meters are about 0.5–1 Hz. In the approach presented here, a specifically developed analog circuitry, that is built using industrially common analog devices is shown to provide a high definition RMS integration of the AC power (with a typical conversion rate better than 35 Hz for a 50 Hz signal source) that is developed, tested and qualified for its functional integrity.