Re: Watt meters

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: Ed Phillips <evp-at-pacbell-dot-net> 

Tesla list wrote:
 >
 > Original poster: Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-twfpowerelectronics-dot-com>
 >
 > Hi Gerry,
 >
 > Yes, a pure reactive load will pull a lot of current, but the meter will
 > not move.  These power meter data back before me...  I wish I would have
 > kept one I used to have.  I donated it to a conservation project.
 >
 > Cheers,
 >
 >          Terry

	AC watt hour meters go way back. A quick Google search gives a
reference to William Stanley and that he had developed the AC watt
recording watt hour meter prior to 1903, when his company was purchased
by GE.  During the 1880's he also did a lot of work on practical
transformers. DC watt hour meters go back at least to 1889, when
Thompson developed an integrating (DC?) watt hour meter.  Back about
1940 the University of Missouri built a new engineering laboratory
building and threw out a lot of old stuff, some of which I picked up.
In the lot was a DC watt hour meter which must have gone back to before
1900.  Beautifully built, DC motor with a tiny commutator, and precision
gear train.  I don't remember what it used for the braking device.

Ed