subject: The history of electric meters [print this page] "The greatest invention of the nineteenth century was the invention of the method of invention"
That aphorism, English mathematician and philosopher Alfred Nord Vaytheda (1891-1947) perfectly reflects the history of the electric meter, which improved with every new invention, following one another, based on scientific achievements and encouraging further development.
The first half of the nineteenth century brought the brilliant discoveries in the field of electromagnetism. In 1820 Frenchman Andre-Marie Ampere (1775-1836) discovered the phenomenon of interaction of electric currents. In 1827 the German Georg Simon Ohm (1787-1854) established the relationship between the strength of current and voltage in the conductors. In 1831, Englishman Michael Faraday (1791-1867) discovered the law of electromagnetic induction, which underlies the principle of action of generators, motors and transformers.
Edison's patent 251.454, 1881 g.Ko second half of the century has been well prepared the ground for the introduction of scientific achievements into practice. The discovery was followed by inventions and patents. The lamp, dynamo, motor, transformer, meter and hydro-turbine had been invented one after another in the short term.
No wonder that when the time came, the key inventions occur almost simultaneously in different parts of the world. Hungarian Otto Titus Bluth, the inventor of the induction electric meters and co-inventor of the transformer, recalling in 1930, this exciting period, he said: "In my day it was easy. Science was like a tropical forest. All that was needed, it is a good hatchet, and wherever you may be struck, could cut down a huge tree. "
With the invention of the dynamo (Anyos Yedlick in 1861, Werner von Siemens in 1867) it became possible to generate electricity in large quantities. The first area of the massive use of electricity was lighting. When this new product - electricity - have started to sell, it became necessary to determine the price. However, it was unclear whether the units should keep records and what principles of measurement would be most convenient.
The first electricity was timer lamp Samuel Gardiner (USA), patented in 1872. He measured the time during which electricity was supplied to a point load, with all the lights are connected to the counter, controlled by one switch. With the advent of Edison's light bulb appears to have begun branching chains of lighting, and a computer out of use.
Electrolytic Meters
Electrochemical counter Edison, 1881 g.Tomas Alva Edison (1847-1931), who introduced the first electrical distribution Lighting DC, asserted that the electricity to be sold as a gas - in those days is also widely used for lighting.
"Electric meter" Edison patented in 1881, used an electrochemical effect of current. It contained an electrolytic cell, where in the early settlement period was placed precisely balanced plate of copper. The current passing through the electrolyte to cause precipitation of copper. At the end of the billing period, the copper plate is weighed again, and the difference in weight shows the amount of electricity which has passed through it. This counter has been calibrated in such a way that accounts can be displayed in cubic feet of gas.
These counters have continued to use until the end of the 19 th century. However, they had one big drawback: data readings is a challenge for the power company and it was quite impossible for the consumer. Later, Edison said counting mechanism for ease of meter readings.
There were other electrolytic meters, such as hydrogen counter the German company Siemens-Schuckert "(Siemens Shuckert) and mercury counter Jena glass factory" Schott und Genosse "(Schott & Gen. Jena). Electrolytic counters could measure only the amp-hours and were not suitable for the voltage fluctuations.
Pendulum meters
Pendulum counter Aron, 1884 g.Esche one possible design principles of the counters was to create some movement - vibration or rotation - is proportional to energy, which, in turn, would run counter mechanism to display the counter.
The principle of the pendulum counter has been described by the Americans William Edward Airton and John Perry in 1881. In 1884 in Germany, not knowing about their invention, Hermann Aron (1845-1902) designed a pendulum counter.
In a more advanced model of this counter were two of the pendulum to the coils on each connected to a voltage source. Under the pendulums were two current coils with opposite winding. The interaction of coils is one of the pendulums moving slowly, and the other faster than without electrical load. This path difference is transmitted totalizers counter. Pendulums changed roles every minute to compensate for the difference in the initial frequency. At the same moment the watch mechanism.
These counters have been costly, because they contain two time mechanism, and gradually replaced motor counters. Pendulum counter possible to measure the ampere-hours or watt-hours, but it can be used exclusively for DC networks.
Motor Counters
Recording wattmeter Thomson, 1889 g.Drugoy alternative for creating the electric meter was the use of the motor. In these counters, the torque is proportional to the load and countervailing point, thus, the frequency of the rotor is proportional to the load, while the moments are in equilibrium. In 1889, American Elihu Thomson (1853-1937) developed his "recording wattmeter" for "GE" (General Electric).
It was the engine with an anchor without the metal core, which runs from the voltage passing through the coil and resistor with the collector. The stator is set in motion the current, and therefore the torque was proportional to the product of voltage and amperage. Braking torque is ensured by constant electromagnet, which affected the aluminum disk attached to the anchor. This counter is used primarily for direct current. The big disadvantage of motor electricity was a collector.
