Design of an intelligent energy meter with two-way communication

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Date
2004
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Dar es Salaam
Abstract
Power utility companies have been facing a lot of problems in revenue collection such as improper energy measurement, meter tampering, delay in billing, huge costs of disconnection and reconnection of meters etc. Different techniques have been proposed to overcome these problems such as the use of metering system like computerized hand held recording devices, remote electronic meter reading, drive by or mobile radio-meter reading and full remote electronic meter reading. It has been identified that a remote monitoring system is a solution of such problems. Apart from that, the proper way of measuring consumed energy, power tampering identification and protection and the design of two way communication is essential. In this thesis the concept of an intelligent energy meter with two-way communication to solve the prevailing problem of revenue losses is introduced. Two kinds of solutions have been researched on and integrated as a single solution. These are tampering detection circuit design and real time monitoring using two-way communication facility. Also, accurate energy measurement has been discussed. In the tampering detection, the thesis explains different tampering techniques used and gives a simulated tampering detection algorithm to combat the problem, in addition, the thesis describes how a transceiver through powerline channel in combination with tampering detection circuit can be used to combat the tampering and revenue collection problem. Due to the nature of powerline communication channel, the transceiver parameters have been chosen carefully to enable communication at low cost Spread spectrums with BPSK modulation techniques has been chosen to effect communication through powerline. Results show that it is possible to detect all identified kinds of tampering for all tampering and theft conditions by monitoring the energy meter live and neutral currents and terminal voltage. The energy metering transceiver requires data rate of 10kbps, chip rate of 327.67Mchips/s, processing gain (PG) of 45dB or above and receiver signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) of 28dB. Furthermore, the transceiver need receiver sensitivity and transmitting signal power of -110dB and 1 OmW respectively with channel bandwidth of 5 kHz.
Description
Available in print form, East Africana Collection, Dr. Wilbert Chagula Library, Class mark (THS EAF TK351.N3)
Keywords
Intelligent, Communication
Citation
Naiman, S (2004) Design of an intelligent energy meter with two-way communication, Master dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam. Dar es Salaam.