Lecturer: Piero Malcovati  

Course name: Electrical measurements
Course code: 502465
Degree course: Ingegneria Industriale
Disciplinary field of science: ING-INF/07
L'insegnamento è caratterizzante per: Ingegneria Industriale
University credits: CFU 12
Course website: http://sms.unipv.it/misure

Specific course objectives

The goal of this course is to provide an introduction to industrial electrical measurements for low and high voltage circuits with an experimental approach. We consider dc, sinusoidal and non-sinusoidal quantities. The most important formative objectives are the knowledge of the concepts of measurement and measurement uncertainty, the knowledge of the main measurement methods for electrical quantities both theoretically and practically, as well as the knowledge of the main measurement instruments for electrical quantities both theoretically and practically.

Course programme

The course can be divided in two parts, the first, more theoretical, devoted to the definition of the concepts of measurement and measurement uncertainty, as well as to the description of the basic instruments, while the second, more practical, focused on the measurement methods and their application.

First part
Measurement theory and instrumentation

• General concepts
• Measurement uncertainty
• Laboratory standards
• Referability and repeatability of measurements
• Instrument calibration
• Analog measurement instruments
• Analog-to-digital conversion
• Digital measurement instruments
• Criteria for the instrument choice
• Analog and digital oscilloscopes
• Instrument transformers
• Data acquisition systems and signal conditioning
• Sensors and transducers

Second part
Measurement methods

• Measurement methods for dc quantities and use of the instrumentation
• Measurement methods for ac monophase quantities and use of the instrumentation
• Measurement methods for ac polyphase quantities and use of the instrumentation
• Bridge methods for dc and ac measurements and use of the instrumentation
• Measurement methods for non-sinusoidal quantities and use of the instrumentation
• Measurement methods for high-voltage systems and use of the instrumentation
• Measurement methods for the characteristic quantities of magnetic materials and use of the instrumentation

Course entry requirements

Basic knowledge of mathematics, statistics, physics and electrotechnics.

Course structure and teaching

Lectures (hours/year in lecture theatre): 72
Practical class (hours/year in lecture theatre): 18
Practicals / Workshops (hours/year in lecture theatre): 28

Suggested reading materials

The lecture notes (P. Malcovati, Misure Elettriche) and the slides used during classes (both available on-line at http://sms.unipv.it/misure) cover the entire program of the course. Additional informations can be found in:

M. Savino. Fondamenti di Scienza delle Misure. La Nuova Italia Scientifica.

G. Zingales. Misure Elettriche: Metodi e Strumenti. UTET.

Testing and exams

There will be two witten tests at the end of the two parts of the course. Moreover, the students will prepare reports on the activities carried-out during the experimental laboratory exercises. For the students that will have performed the written tests and attended the laboratory exercises, the oral exam will consists in a discussion on the written tests and the prepared reports. For the students that will not have performed the written tests and/or attended the laboratory exercises, the exam will consist of an oral test on the whole program of the course.