Introduction

Alternating Current bridges are widely used for measurement of

inductance, capacitance, storage factor, loss factor etc. A.C bridge circuits
also find application in providing phase shift, feedback paths for oscillators
and amplifiers, filtering out undesirable signals and measuring frequency of
audio signals.
An A.C bridge in its basic form consists of four arms. Each of the four arms
is an impedance. An a.c source A detector, sensitive to small alternating
potential differences

Sources
For measurements at lower frequencies power line can be used as source
of supply to bridge circuits.At higher frequencies electronic oscillators are
universally used as source. These oscillators have advantages of constant
frequency, more accuracy, waveform closer to sine wave.Typical bridge
oscillators have frequency range from 40Hz to 125KHz, with a power
output of 7 watts.
Detectors
Commonly used detectors are
i) headphones
ii) vibration galvanometers
iii) and tunable amplifier detectors

he figure shows basic A.C. bridge circuit, four arms of the bridge are
impedances Z1, Z2, Z3 and Z4 .
The condition for balance of bridge require that there should be no current
flow through the detector.
This will be the case when potential difference across b and d is zero. i.e.,
voltage drop between a and b is equal to voltage drop between a and d.

I 1Z

..........

2 ..........

.(

..........

...( 2 )

..........

.....( 3 )

also
I

E
1+ Z

E
Z 2+ Z

and
I

..........

.....( 4 )

E
Z 1+ Z

Z 1 Z

* Z

+ Z
= Z

E
Z 2+ Z

3 ..........

* Z

..........

+ Z

...( 5 )

Equation 5 is convenient when dealing with series elements of bridge,

when there are parallel elements it is convenient to express in admittance
form as in equation 6 shown below.

Y 1 Y 4 = Y 2 Y 3............( 6 )
An impedance is a complex number, hence both magnitudes and phase
angles must be accounted. Complex impedance can be analyzed both in
polar form and in terms of rectangular co-ordinates.
The equation 5 states that
product of impedances one pair of opposite arms =
product of impedances other pair of opposite arms
Equation (5) can be written as

(Z ) (Z ) = (Z ) (Z )..........(7)
1

Thus for balance condition

Z1Z 41 + 4 = Z 2Z 3 2 + 3...................(8)

If L1 and R1 are unknowns, the above bridge may be used to measure in

terms of R2, R3, R4 and L2. Thus two balance equations are always obtained
for an A.C . Bridge circuit. For balance in an A.C.Bridge both magnitude and
phase relationships must be satisfied, this requires that real and imaginary
parts must be separated, which gives two balance equations. In order to
satisfy both conditions for balance and for convenience of manipulation,
the bridge must contain two variable elements in its configuration. For
convenience each of balance equations must contain one variable element
only.
contain one variable element only.

Z 1Z

= Z 2Z

(R 1 + j L 1 )R 4

R 1 R 4 + j L 1 R 4 = R 2 R 3 + j L 2 R 3
Separating

real and imaginary

R1R 4= R 2 R 3
j L 1 R 4 = j L 2 R 3

parts

R 1=

R3
R 2
R4

L 1=

R3
L 2
R4

(R 2 + j L 2 )R 3

If L1 and R1 are unknowns, the above bridge may be used to measure in

terms of R2, R3, R4 and L2. Thus two balance equations are always obtained
for an A.C . Bridge circuit. For balance in an A.C.Bridge both magnitude and
phase relationships must be satisfied, this requires that real and imaginary
parts must be separated, which gives two balance equations.In order to
satisfy both conditions for balance and for convenience of manipulation,
the bridge must contain two variable elements in its configuration. For
convenience each of balance equations must contain one variable element
only.

It can be observed that balance equations are independent of frequency

which is the greatest advantage in A.C.Bridge because for exact value of the
source frequency need not be known. Also if the bridge is balanced for
fundamental frequency it should be balanced for harmonic and waveform
of source need not be pure sinusoid.

Problem
1) A four impedances of an a.c bridge in ohms are
Z1= 400
Z2=200
Z3=800
Z4=400
Find out whether the bridge is balanced under these conditions.
Solution
Applying first condition
Z 1Z 4 = Z 2Z 3
400x400=200X800
1600=1600
Applying second condition
50+20= 70
40-50= -10
This indicates that the bridge cannot be balanced with these impedances.

2) An inductance of 0.22H and resistance of 20

20 forming impedance Z1 of
the bridge shown are measured by comparing with fixed inductance of 0.1H
and 40 resistance connected between bc. arm cd has a resistance R4 of
750 and unknown resistance is in arm da. Show any necessary
adjustments required to achieve both resistance and inductance balance.

Given R1=20,L1=0.22H,R4=750,R3=40,L3=0.1H At balance

(R1+ jL1)R4 = R2(R3+ jL3) R1 = RR2R4 3 &L1 = RR2L4 3

L1
L1 R2 R1
0.22
= =
R2=R4 =750
=1650
L3 R4 R3
0.1
L3

&

L1 R2
R1 20
= =2.2 but = =0.5
L3 R4
R3 40

Value of ratio R1/R3 should also be 2.2 for both resistive and inductive
balance, therefore series resistance has to be added to arm ab and let this
be r1

R 1+ r

R 3

r
r

2 .2

2 .2

2 .2

(R 3 )
(40 )

R
20

68

3) A 1000 Hz bridge has the following constants : arm ab, R1=1000 in

parallel With C1=0.5F; Arm bc, R3=1000 in series with C3=0.5F ; arm
cd,L4=30mH in series with R4=200 . Find the constants of arm da to
balance the bridge. Express the result as a pure resistance in series with a
pure inductance a pure inductance or capacitance.

SOLUTION:
=2 f = 6283.185 rad/sec
Z1=R1|| (1/jC1) = R1/(1+j C1R1)
= 1000/(1+j3.1415)
= 1000/(0.092- j0.289)
=303.3 -72.34
Z3 = R3+(1/j C3)
= 1000-j318.30
= 1049.43 -17.6
Z4 = R4+j L4
= 200+j188.49
= 274.82 43.3

Z1Z4 = Z2Z3 substituting for Z1,Z3 and Z4 , Z2 can be evaluated as

Z2=Z1Z4/Z3
=79.53 -11.44
=77.9-j15.77
Therefore arm da has a resistance of 77.9 and capacitive reactance of
15.77 in series. In other words arm da has capacitance of 10.1 F in series
with a resistance of 77.9