Remote meter reading (RMR)

Traditional Meter Reading...

Local

station

Meter

Reader

Central

station

Meter

Hand Held Unit

Problems with Hand Held Units

• Have to be hand carried to each meter • Data has to be uploaded to a computer for

processing • Limited storage capacity of HHU

leads to

Long Cycle Time Delayed revenue realization

Automatic meter reading

Automatic Meter Reading is a technique to transfer the Meter data / information to a remote location via suitable communication media and necessary hardware set up.

Electronic Energy Meter

Media Interface device

(Out station)

Data Communication Media PSTN / GSM

Media Interface Device (In station)

Host PC at Meter Reading Station with compatible software

AMR uses various Communication technologies as PSTN/GSM

GSM – AMR SYSTEM

METER

• METER SHOULD BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE ELECTRONICALLY

MEDIA INTERFACE DEVICE(IN STATION)

• THE SELECTION OF MODEM DEPEND UP ON COMMUNICATION MEDIA

• MODEM IS A 2 PORT INTELLIGENT DEVICE WHICH PROCESSES, STORES AND COMMUNICATE THE DATA STREAM BASED ON INDIVIDUAL NETWORK NEEDS CONNECTED AT EITHER ENDS

DATA COMMUNICATION MEDIA

• PSTN(PUBLIC SWITCH TELEPHONE NETWORK)

• GSM (GLOBAL SYSTEM FOR MOBILE COMMUNICATION)

• LOW POWER RADIO

• HIGH POWER RADIO

• FIBER OPTIC

• POWER LINE COMMUNICATION

SELECTION OF COMMUNICATION MEDIA

• SHALL BE CHOSEN AFTER ANALYSIS OF

• 1. COST

• 2. AVAILABILITY

• 3.RELIABILITY

• 4. IMMUNITY TO ENVIRONMENTAL OR MANMADE DISTURBANCES

• 5. EASE OF INTERFACE

MEDIA INTERFACE OUTSTATION

• IT IS FUNCTIONALLY SAME AS IN STATION MODEM

• IN TYPICAL RMR SETUP IN-STATION CAN BE PSTN AND OUTSTATION CAN BE GSM

HOST PC WITH RMR SOFTWARE

• THE HEART OF THE METER READING STATION IS THE SOFTWARE INSTALLED IN THE HOST PC FOR RMR.

• THE SOFTWARE CAN BE PROGRAMMED FOR A METER READING SCHEDULE TO DIAL AND COLLECT THE TARGET METER READING AT THE SPECIFIED DATE AND TIME.

• NDPL IS THE FIRST IN INDIA TO IMPLIMENT AMR FOR ALL HT AND ALL LTCT METERS

• AMR IS USED FOR BILLILG AND THEFT DETECTION

• MODEM CONNECTED TO OPTICAL PORT/ RS232 PORT

• GSM MODEM USED

• ANOTHER MODEM IS CONNECTED TO COMPUTER WHERE BASE COMPUTER SOFTWARE IS LOADED

• DIFFERENT MAKE METERS ARE HAVING DIFFERENT PROTOCOL. HENCE DIFFERENT BCS IS TO BE INSTALLED

• SCHEDULERS FOR READING METER ARE TO BE PREPARED IN EACH BCS

• IN THE SCHEDULER THE GSM NO TO BE DIALLED IS GIVEN

• THE SCHEDULER DIAL THE NO AND SEND A HAND SHAKING COMMAND

• METER ON THE OTHER END RECOGNIZES THIS COMMAND AND IF IT IS OF THE SAME MAKE HAND SHAKING IS DONE SUCESSFULLY

• THEN THE BCS SEND THE COMMAND TO GET THE REQUIRED DATA

• THE DATA RECEIVED IS SAVED IN THE BCS

• ONCE DATA IS RECEIVED BILLING DATA IS CONVERTED TO ASCII FORMAT (AMERICAN STANARD CODE FOR INFORMATION INTERCHANGE)

• THIS DATA IS UPLOADED TO THE BILLING SERVER/DATA BASE

• THIS DATA IS VARIFIED WITH SOME CHECK IN THE SYSTEM ( Eg CONSUMPTION WITH ZERO DEMAND)

• AFTER CHECKING DATA IS PROCESSED FOR BILLING

ADVANTAGES

• NO MANUAL INTERVENSION • BILLING TIME REDUCED • BILLS ARE ERROR FREE • RELIABLE • METER DATA CAN BE DOWNLOADED, ABNORMAL SYSTEM

CONDITIONS CAN BE STUDIED TO FIND OUT THEFT • ALL THE PROBLEM CAN BE STUDIED BY SITTING IN THE OFFICE. • BY ANALYSING DATA WHETHER SITE VISIT IS REQUIRED CAN BE

DECIDED • METER READER COST REDUCED • SAVING OF SEALS AND STATIONERIES • QUICK DETECTION OF DEFECT IN THE METER • READING DATE OF EACH MONTH CAN BE FIXED

ANALYSIS OF DATA

• INSTANTANENOUS PARAMETER & PHASOR DIAGRAM WILL SHOW THE HEALTHINESS OF METER

• OUTCOME OF ANALYSIS CAN BE GIVEN TO ANTI THEFT SQUAD IF NECESSORY.

• VOLTAGE FAILURE/CURRENT FAILURE CAN BE DETECTED AND CORRECTED IMMEDIATELY.

• IF ABNORMAL VOLTAGE PROFILE IS THERE IT CAN BE COMPAIRED WITH ANOTHER METER IN THE SAME FEEDER

DISADVANTAGES

• HIGHER INSTALLATION COST

• PHYSICAL SITE CHECKING IS REDUCED

• HENCE RMR CAN BE INSTALLED TO HIGH CONSUMPTION CONSUMERS

Remote meter reading (RMR) Using radio frequency

Mobile or "Drive-by" meter reading

• In Mobile or "Drive-by" meter reading device is installed in a vehicle.

• meter reader drives the vehicle while the reading device automatically collects the meter readings

• reading equipment includes navigational and mapping features provided by GPS and mapping software

• reader does not normally have to read the meters in any particular route order, but just drives the service area until all meters are read Components often consist of a laptop or proprietary computer, software, RF receiver/transceiver, and external vehicle antennas.

How Mobile Meter Reading Works

Your Electric Meter

A state-of-the-art

electronic meter is

installed at your home.

These high-tech meters

are accurate and use

secure radio frequencies.

The digital displays are

easy to read.

Meter Reading Vehicle

A utility vehicle, equipped with

a computer and a radio

receiver, can read your meter

from the street, with no need

to access your yard or home.

You won't have to unlock your

gate for security on the day

your meter is read.

Billing System

Meter data is sent to our

billing system. This

technology reduces human

error, so you will receive

significantly fewer estimated

bills.

Your Energy Bill

Your monthly energy

bill is generated with

the information from

our billing system

ADVANTAGES

• RELIABLE

• LONG RANGE 1.2 KM WITH MESH NETWORKING

• CAN READ EVEN WHEN POWER IS NOT AVAILABLE

• READ METER ANY TIME

• PREMISES ACCESS NOT REQUIRED

• DATA SPEED UP TO 100 kbps per meter

• FREQUENCY HOPPING – NO CONGESTION

Fixed Network AMR

• Network is permanently installed to capture meter readings.

• Meter transmits its data to a central collector or repeater.

• It consists of a series of antennas, towers, collectors, repeaters, or other permanently installed infrastructure

• Network collects transmission of meter readings from AMR capable meters and get the data to a central computer without a person in the field to collect it.

• Network commonly employs Star topology.

Fixed Network AMR (contd.)

• Some systems use only collectors which receive and store data for processing.

• Others use a repeater which forwards a reading from a more remote area back to a main collector without actually storing it.

• A repeater may forward RF signal or sometimes signal is converted to suit a wired network such as telephone or IP network to get the data back to a collector.

• Some manufacturers are developing mesh networks where meters themselves act as repeaters passing the data to nearby meters until it makes it to a main collector

• requires that the meter devices be receivers as well as transmitters potentially making individual transceiver cost higher

• the additional cost may be outweighed by the savings of multiple collectors and repeater antennas .

Hybrid AMR

• In a hybrid system, part of the system is read by fixed network, and parts may read by mobile or other technology, or both.

• Utilities with low density rural areas may not cost justify the fixed network infrastructure for parts of their service area

• Fixed network is used only for higher density zones or commercial customers.

• Some hybrid networks allow reading of a meter by both methods concurrently as a source of redundancy.

LT CT Segment Metering

• Design based on the Thread Through Concept where

secondary cable of DT and/or the supply cable for LT CT

consumer pass directly through the meter for

measurement

• Long-range meter: (Current Range 40-200 A)

• Outdoor meter: IP-54 compliance

• Overall Product Accuracy : Class 1.0

Distribution Transformer

Metering - Scheme

Meter Reader

5-6m above ground level

Service line

HHU

Radial distance of 100 Meter

Meter with Low Power Radio

Spot Billing Machine with Radio link with the Meter

(Low Power Radio Modem)

RF Based Hand Held Solution

GPRS

Central Server

HHC Working with GPRS network

Internet

The data from the HHC

will be sent to the Central

Server through GPRS

Network

Oblique View of Prodigy Meter

Floating clamp for securing/ tightening the cable.

Stainless steel cable-piercing screw (volt tap)

Prodigy- Principal Features

• Thread-through meter (cable passes directly through meter)

• Single wide-range metering unit (40-200 A)

• Class 1.0 system accuracy

• Low Power Radio (LPR) communication capability (range

up to 100m)

• Special anomaly recording features for DTM application viz.

high & low voltage, over-load and under-load condition etc.

• Environmental protection to IP 54

Prodigy- Principal Features (cont.)

• Snap-fit arrangement for meter cover & base

• Special arrangement for multiple cable connections for Distribution

Transformer metering

• Meter stores cumulative energy values for Active (Forwarded),

Apparent and Reactive (Lag and Lead)

• Historical Data: meter maintains value of energy, MD, TOD MD and

‘hours on & off power’ for the 12 most recent billing points.

• Load survey storage of energy values & ’instantaneous parameters’ -

up to 400 parameter days @ 30 minute integration period

• Abnormal Events logging: 200 time-stamped events can be logged

Application Segments

• Metering of LT Three-Phase Distribution

Transformer The meter is installed outdoors on

the secondary side of the distribution transformer.

Meter is mounted 5-6m above ground level, near

the transformer, and is read using LPR.

• LT CT Consumer Tariff Application

The meter is mounted outside the consumer’s

premises. There is no need for external CTs or a

Meter Box.

Summary

• Fully integrated metering unit - no need for

external CTs, Meter Box or other accessories

• High inherent system accuracy

• Innovative design eliminates the need for a

terminal block or connection terminals

• Single wide-range meter covers most applications