The Measurand: The Problem of Frequency

Conference · Mon Jul 25 00:00:00 EDT 2016

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/I2MTC.2016.7520347· OSTI ID:1355119

Kirkham, Harold

The conceptual entity that metrologists term the measurand is a model selected to represent the physical entity being measured. In a world of digital measurements, it should be defined first mathematically, and only then put into words. Human linguistic processes lack the precision required when all we do is use labels. In this paper, reactive power and frequency are used as examples. The act of measurement finds the values of the coef-ficients of the model. In other words, it solves an equation. In a digital instrument, information about the quality of the fit between the physical entity being measured and the conceptual model is often available. In essence the instrument can comment on the selection of the model. This comment should be reported as part of the statement of the result of the measurement, along with the declared value and the uncertainty.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 1355119
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-113733; TE1101000
• Resource Relation: Conference: IEEE International Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference Proceedings (I2MTC 2016), May 23-26, 2016, Taipei, Taiwan
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

measurand
mathematical model
quality of fit
phasor measurement unit
frequency
phase angle
power factor
reactive power