Types of Clamp Meters

Clamp meters are an electrical test tool that incorporates a basic digital multimeter with a current sensor. Clamps measure current. On the other hand, Probes measure voltage. Having a hinged jaw can allow the technician to clamp the jaws around a cable, wire, and other points in an electrical system. It measures the current in the circuit without the risk of disconnecting it. Below their plastic moldings are hard jaws that contain ferrite iron. Clamp meters measure and monitor magnetic fields as it goes through a conductor.

Another name you can call clamp meters is clamp-on ammeters. Additionally, what other thing you might want to know is that they have three types of categories.

Current Transformer

What you must know is that a current transformer is a type of instrument that produces secondary alternate currents. Ultimately, this makes it proportional to the AC current in the primary. This is used when a current or voltage is too high to measure directly. The secondary current is used for measuring instruments or processing electrical equipment. This process generally needs isolation between primary and secondary circuits.

Hall Effect

Hall Effect clamp meters can measure both ac and dc current up to the kilohertz which is 1000 Hz range. Similar to current transformer types, Hall Effect clamp meters use rigid iron jaws. Basically, when you use iron jaws it can actually help your device concentrate on the magnetic field that encircles the conductor. Compared to current transformer clamp meters the jaws are not wrapped by copper wires. Instead, the magnetic field produced by the conductor is focused across one or more gaps in the core after the jaws are clamped around the conductor.

Flexible

Flexible clamp meters evolved in 1912. From simple solenoids came an advanced test tool ready to take over the industrial market. Compared to the Current Transformer and Hall Effect clamp meter, the flexible clamp meter does not have an iron core. Instead, a wound helix-shaped coil that reacts to a conductor’s magnetic field was used. The faster the change in amplitude, the more voltage generated by a coil. The integrator circuit in the measurement device transforms that output to a signal that’s proportional to the signal in the conductor.

While clamp meters have different types, they all have the same fundamental methodology when making measurements. On the contrary, you can actually pass a probe in the conductor. There are multiple ways on how you can achieve this. One is the most convenient since it can be through the hard jaw and into the clamp meter. Another is a flexible coil of clamp accessory. Ultimately, this will result in a sum of currents flowing through the conductor as measured by the meter.

Fluke offers a 323 clamp meter which is a good basic troubleshooting tool for commercial and residential electricians. It includes True RMS measurements, optimized ergonomics, and a large display for efficient troubleshooting. Trust it to help you confidently diagnose problems almost anywhere. Reach us through https://presidium.ph/product-category/products/fluke-industrial-group-tools/clamp-meters/  to know more about our clamp meter products.