SIRIUS 3RR2 current monitoring relays 
  8.8 Operation 
SIRIUS Innovations 
System Manual, 01/2011, A8E56203870002-03 
725 
Load current monitoring (apparent current/active current) 
Definition of load current monitoring  
The relays monitor an AC load current which flows through the device terminals depending 
on whether monitoring has been set to check for overshoot or undershoot, or window 
monitoring. 
There are two ways of monitoring the load current: 
●  Apparent current I
s
 
●  Active currentI
p
 
Explanation 
Whereas apparent current monitoring is primarily used in the rated torque range or for 
overload, active current monitoring can be used to observe and evaluate the degree of 
loading across a motor's entire torque range. 
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①  Strong change in cos φ 
②  Strong change in apparent current 
cos φ  Power factor 
I [A]  Current 
M [%]  Torque as a % of the rated torque 
I
p
  Active current 
I
s
  Apparent current 
Figure 8-5  Load current monitoring diagram 
The diagram shows that it only makes sense to use the power factor cos φ to monitor the 
rated current up to approx. 70%. At a higher rated current the change in the power factor is 
too slight to produce measured values of any significance. In contrast, the monitoring quality 
of the apparent current I
s
 increases along with the torque, in other words as the rated current 
rises. It is for this reason that monitoring of the apparent current is primarily used if a load 
needs to be protected against overload. Integrated monitoring from no-load operation up to 
overload is only possible by monitoring the active current I
p
, the product of power factor and 
apparent current. 
Factory setting 
Load current monitoring is factory-set to apparent current monitoring I
s
.