Electronic energy consumption meter with input transformer having single resistance terminated secondary winding coupled to C-MOS switches driven by pulse width modulated control signals

• US 3,955,138 A
• Filed: 11/06/1974
• Issued: 05/04/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Milkovic, Miran
• Primary Examiner(s): Corbin, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Punter, Wm. H.
• Application Number:
  US05/521,298
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 324/141, 324/142, 324/107, 324/127, 332/43 R, 332/43 B
• US Class Current: 324/107
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/127 by using pulse modulation G01R21/133 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/133 by using digital technique

Abstract

In the exemplary embodiment, a double-pole double-throw-C-MOS analog switch provides output signals alternately 180° and 0° with respect to the output of a single secondary winding on a current transformer, which single secondary winding is resistance terminated. The switch control signal is pulse-width modulated in proportion to the line voltage thus making the D.C. component of the net output from the analog switch proportional to the instantaneous product of line voltage and line current or power consumption. This power consumption signal is then conventionally processed to provide data indicating the total accumulated energy consumption in the monitored circuit.

Claims

1. In an electronic energy consumption meter for monitoring electrical energy consumption represented by electric current and voltage signals according to the time-division or amplitude-mark-space-modulation method, the improvement comprising:

a first transformer having a primary winding connected to receive one of said signals to be monitored and a secondary winding providing a first signal proportional thereto,

a second transformer having a primary winding connected to receive the remaining one of said signals to be monitored and a single secondary winding providing a second signal proportional thereto,

a fixed resistance of predetermined value in the range of approximately 50 to 100 ohms connected in shunt across said secondary winding of said second transformer,

a pulse-width modulator operatively connected to receive said first signal and to produce repetitive modulated output pulse signals having instantaneous pulse-widths proportional to the corresponding instantaneous magnitude of said first signal, and

a double-pole double-throw electronic switch operatively connected to be automatically switched between two possible states in response to said repetitive modulated output pulse signals,

said switch having first and second inputs connected across the single secondary winding of said second transformer, and

said switch having first and second outputs which are controllably and alternatively connected to said first and second inputs respectively in the first switch state and to said second and first inputs respectively in the second switch state in response to said modulated output signals whereby the resultant electrical signal across said first and second switch outputs comprises pulse-widthamplitude modulated pulses having instantaneous widths proportional to said first signal, instantaneous amplitudes proportional to said second signal and a D.C. component proportional to the product of said first and second signals and hence to the power consumption represented by the monitored electric current and voltage signals.

2. An improvement as in claim 1 wherein said first transformer is a potential transformer having a primary winding connected in parallel across said electric voltage signal to be monitored and said second transformer is a current transformer having a primary winding connected in series with said electric current signal to be monitored.

3. An improvement as in claim 1 wherein said meter is for monitoring plural N-phase electric energy consumption and wherein said first and second transformers, said fixed resistance, said pulse-width modulator and said double-pole double-throw switch are similarly provided for at least N-1 of the phases.

4. An improvement as in claim 1 further comprising a power supply electrically connected to said first transformer for supplying electrical power to the circuits of said meter.

5. An electronic energy consumption meter for monitoring electrical energy consumption represented by electric current and voltage signals according to the time-division or amplitude-mark-space-modulation method, said meter comprising:

a first transformer having a primary winding adapted for connection to receive one of said signals to be monitored and a secondary winding for providing a first signal proportional thereto,

a second transformer having a primary winding adapted for connection to receive the remaining one of said signals to be monitored and a single secondary winding for providing a second signal proportional thereto,

a fixed resistance of predetermined value in the range of approximately 50 to 100 ohms connected in shunt across said secondary winding of said second transformer,

a pulse-width modulator connected to receive said first signal and to produce repetitive modulated output pulse signals having instantaneous pulse-widths proportional to the corresponding instantaneous magnitude of said first signal,

a double-pole double-throw electronic switch operatively connected to be automatically switched between two possible states in response to said repetitive modulated output pulse signals,

said switch having first and second inputs connected across the secondary winding of said second transformer,

said switch having first and second outputs which are controllably and alternatively connected to said first and second inputs respectively in the first switch state and to said second and first inputs respectively in the second switch state in response to said modulated output signals whereby the resultant electrical signal across said first and second switch outputs comprises pulse-widthamplitude modulated pulses having instantaneous widths proportional to said first signal, instantaneous amplitudes proportional to said second signal and a D.C. component proportional to the product of said first and second signals and hence to the power consumption represented by the monitored electric current and voltage signals,

a low-pass filter connected to receive said pulse-width-amplitude modulated pulses and to provide a power output signal proportional to the D.C. component of said pulse-width-amplitude modulated pulses,

an analog-to-pulse-rate converter connected to receive said power output signal and to effectively integrate same and to provide a unit-energy output pulse each time a predetermined fixed unit amount of energy has been consumed, and

accumulating means connected to count the number of such unit-energy output pulses so produced and thus to accumulate data indicative of the total energy consumption represented by said electric current and voltage signals.

6. A meter as in claim 5 wherein said first transformer is a potential transformer having a primary winding connected in parallel across said electric voltage signal to be monitored and said second transformer is a current transformer having a primary winding connected in series with said electric current signal to be monitored.

7. A meter as in claim 5 adapted for monitoring plural N-phase electric energy consumption and wherein said first and second transformers, said fixed resistance, said pulse-width modulator and said double-pole double-throw switch are similarly provided for at least N-1 of the phases and wherein the plural pulse-width-amplitude modulated pulses thereby produced are summed together and presented in summation as a single input to said low-pass filter.

8. A meter as in claim 5 further comprising a power supply electrically connected to said first transformer for supplying electrical power to the circuits of said meter.