Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Prashant Saxena
In the recent years, very small aperture Information coupled with analysis, can help
terminal (VSAT) technology has advanced in both utility providers and customers better
number of significant ways. VSATs have control the use and production of electric AMR
dramatically entered mainly focuses on technologies include handheld, mobile and
metering issues related to VSAT networks such network technologies based on telephony
as architecture, multiple access techniques, platforms (wired and wireless), radio frequency
merits and demerits of VSAT Metering, VSAT (RF), or power line transmission, gas usage, or
market statistics and various applications of water consumption.
relevance and practical significance. This paper
also discusses the future of VSAT Metering The different technologies that are currently
technology and the challenges in the context of used and with their Disadvantages
the Metering industry segments with unique
solutions. The effect on load monitoring and 1) Touch technology
scheduling and developing a model to keep
system under stability and with least line losses. With touch based AMR, a meter reader
carries a handheld computer or data collection
B) Introduction device with a wand or probe. The device
automatically collects the readings from a meter.
Metering is a very wide area of
application which is regularly being updated and Disadvantage: The Meter Reader is to go and
amendments are continuously done for the collect the data and in the case of remote areas
betterment in the industry. The different or in areas where the Population per Kilometer
approaches are being used for gas, water and is very less its really a tedious JOB.
electricity metering. GSM , GPRS , CDMA and
PLC are the main mode of communication of 2) Radio frequency network, Mobile
meter with the utility center. Automatic meter
reading, or AMR, is the technology of Radio frequency based AMR can take
automatically collecting consumption, many forms. The more common ones are
diagnostic, and status data from water meter or handheld, mobile, and fixed network. There are
energy metering devices (water, gas, and both two-way RF systems and one-way RF
electric) and transferring that data to a central systems in use that use both licensed and
database for billing, troubleshooting, and unlicensed RF bands.
analyzing. This advance mainly saves utility
providers the expense of periodic trips to each RF based meter reading usually eliminates the
physical location to read a meter. Another need for the meter reader to enter the property
advantage is billing can be based on near real or home, or to locate and open an underground
time consumption rather than on estimates based meter pit. The utility saves money by increased
on previous or predicted consumption. This speed of reading, has lower liability from
timely entering private property, and has less chance of
missing reads because of being locked out from
meter access.
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The majority of manufacturers of electricity sometimes is converted to a wired network such
meters have radio frequency devices in the as telephone or IP network to get the data back
frequency band of 433/868 MHz for large scale to a collector.
deployment in European countries. The
frequency band of 2.4 GHz can be now used in Some manufacturers are developing mesh
India for outdoor as well as indoor applications networks where meters themselves act as
but few manufacturers have shown products repeaters passing the data to nearby meters until
within this frequency band. With mobile meter it makes it to a main collector. The Swedish city
reading, the reader does not normally have to of Gothenburg is having their electric meters
read the meters in any particular route order, but connected in this manner, using the ZigBee
just drives the service area until all meters are protocol. A mesh network may save the
read. Components often consist of a laptop or infrastructure of many collection points, but is
proprietary computer, software, RF more data intensive on the meters. One issue
receiver/transceiver, and external vehicle with mesh networks it that battery operated ones
antennas. may need more power for the increased
frequency of transmitting. It also requires that
Disadvantages: The Meter Reader is to the meter devices be receivers as well as
generally go through a Van or some vehicle in transmitters potentially making individual
front of the Residence or meter so as to collect transceiver cost higher. However, the additional
the meter data in the HHU, But if the conditions cost may be outweighed by the savings of
are like in Korea and other some other countries multiple collectors and repeater antennas and
where the roads are not proper and even no road finding places to mount them.
in some areas then it would result as a severe
drawback in this technology. Some fixed network systems are also capable of
being installed as a hybrid AMR system where
3) Fixed network mobile and fixed network are intermixed by
design. In a hybrid system, part of the system is
Fixed Network AMR is a method where read by fixed network, and parts may read by
a network is permanently installed to capture mobile or other technology, or both. Utilities
meter readings. This method can consist of a with low density rural areas may not cost justify
series of antennas, towers, collectors, repeaters, the fixed network infrastructure for parts of their
or other permanently installed infrastructure to service area, using it only for higher density
collect transmissions of meter readings from zones or commercial accounts. Some hybrid
AMR capable meters and get the data to a networks allow reading of a meter by both
central computer without a person in the field to methods concurrently as a source of
collect it. redundancy. In the event of a failure of the
network due a natural disaster, sabotage, power
There are several types of network topologies in failure, or other network interruption, the mobile
use to get the meter data back to a central reading system is available in their disaster
computer. A star network is the most common, recovery plan as an alternative means of data
where a meter transmits its data to a central collection to the fixed network.
collector or repeater. Some systems use only
collectors which receive and store data for Disadvantages: The repeaters are used which
processing. Others also use a repeater which are very costly and in case if the meters are at a
forwards a reading from a more remote area very far distance (Like in Australia) then it is
back to a main collector without actually storing very impossible to install repeaters in such a far
it. A repeater may be forwarded by RF signal or distance. In the Case of heavy storms and tides
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which are very prominent in coastal regions. so deliver electric power. Such systems are
this type of methodology would be a primarily used for electric meter reading. Some
disadvantage for the Fixed network topology. providers have interfaced gas and water meters
to feed into a PLC type system.
4) Wi Fi
Disadvantage: The Biggest disadvantage of the
The city of Corpus Christi became one PLC is in case if the power line is being broken
of the first cities in the United States to from between somewhere then it is impossible
implement city wide Wi Fi, which had been free to connect the meter by the utility. Sometimes it
until May 31, 2007, mainly to facilitate AMR is a case found that user cuts his meter so as that
after a meter reader was attacked by a dog. meter doesnt communicate with the utility.
Today many meters are designed to transmit
using Wi Fi, even if a Wi Fi network is not C) Benefits of Advanced Metering
available, and they are read using a drive-by
local Wi Fi hand held receiver. Advanced Metering systems can provide
benefits for utilities, retail providers and
The meters installed in Corpus Christi are not customers. Benefits will be recognized by the
directly Wi-Fi enabled, but rather transmit utilities with increased efficiencies, outage
narrow-band burst telemetry on the 460 MHz detection, tamper notification and reduced labor
band. This narrow-banded signal has a much cost as a result of automating reads, connections
greater range than Wi-Fi, so the number of and disconnects. Retail Providers will be able to
receivers required for the project is far fewer offer new innovative products in addition to
than the number of Wi-Fi access points covering customizing packages for their customers. In
the same area. These special receiver stations addition, with the meter data being readily
then take in the narrow-band signal and report available, more flexible billing cycles would be
their data via Wi-Fi. available to their customers instead of following
the standard utility read cycles.
Most of the automated utility meters installed in
the Corpus Christi area are battery powered. The benefits of smart metering are clear and
Compared to narrow-band burst telemetry, Wi- proven.
Fi technology uses far too much power for long-
term battery-powered operation. Accurate meter reading, no more
estimates
Disadvantage: A large area can not be covered Improved billing
using the Wi-Fi technology because it is not Accurate Profile Classes and
highly secure and even the initial cost is very Measurement Classes, true costs applied
high Improved Security for premises
Energy Management through profile
5) Power line communication data graphs
Less financial burden correcting
(PLC) AMR is a method where mistakes
electronic data is transmitted over power lines Less accrued expenditure
back to the substation, then relayed to a central Less time chasing call centers to provide
computer in the utility's main office. This would meter readings
be considered a type of fixed network system Transparency of cost to read metering
the network being the distribution network Improved procurement power though
which the utility has built and maintains to more accurate data - de-risking price
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2) A downlink (DL) is the link from a satellite
to a ground station.
D) VSAT Metering
Configurations
A Very Small Aperture Terminal
(VSAT), is a two-way satellite ground station Most VSAT networks are configured in one of
with a dish antenna that is smaller than 3 meters. these topologies
Most VSAT antennas range from 75 cm to 1.2
m. Data rates typically range from 56 Kbit/s up A star topology, using a central uplink
to 4 Mbit/s. VSATs access satellites in to relay site, such as a network operations center
data from small remote earth stations (terminals) (NOC), to transport data back and forth
to other terminals (in mesh configurations) or to each VSAT terminal via satellite,
master earth station "hubs" (in star A mesh topology, where each VSAT
configurations). VSAT metering is the newest terminal relays data via satellite to
way of Automatic Meter Reading and leads to another terminal by acting as a hub,
the different approach in the metering world. minimizing the need for a centralized
The Diagram (a) shows the working of a VSAT uplink site,
Metering Protocol. The different type of A combination of both star and mesh
topologies can be used depending upon the topologies. Some VSAT networks are
nature of the communication need and configured by having several centralized
protocols. uplink sites (and VSAT terminals
stemming from it) connected in a multi-
A Meter, earth station, ground station, or star topology with each star (and each
earth terminal is a terrestrial terminal station terminal in each star) connected to each
designed for extra planetary telecommunication other in a mesh topology. Others
with spacecraft, and/or or reception of radio configured in only a single star topology
waves from an astronomical radio source. Earth sometimes will have each terminal
stations are located either on the surface of the connected to each other as well,
Earth, or within Earth's atmosphere. Earth resulting in each terminal acting as a
stations communicate with spacecraft by central hub. These configurations are
transmitting and receiving radio waves in the utilized to minimize the overall cost of
super high frequency or extremely high the network, and to alleviate the amount
frequency bands (e.g., microwaves). When an of data that has to be relayed through a
earth station successfully transmits radio waves central uplink site (or sites) of a star or
to a spacecraft (or vice versa), it establishes a multi-star network.
telecommunications link.
An innovative feature of VSAT is that the
A telecommunications link is generally one of technology has evolved to the point that
several types of information transmission paths something that previously could only be done
accomplished by communication satellites to with large, high-powered transmitting satellite
connect two points on earth. dishes can now be done with a much smaller
and vastly lower-powered antenna at the
1) An uplink (UL or U/L) is the portion of a customer's premises. In addition, several return-
communications link used for the transmission path channels can co-exist on a single satellite
of signals from an meter to a satellite or to the transponder, and each of these return-path
utility satellite. An uplink is the inverse of a channels is further subdivided to serve multiple
downlink.
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customers. VSAT equipment consists of We have discussed about the various
two units: technologies on which we are working currently
in India and abroad, but the technology VSAT
metering will going to bring a great revolution
One is due to its lucrative approach and its benefits.
placed The VSAT metering is divided into Three Parts
(3)Communication between load dispatches 12) Fast communication between meter to meter
Centers : and meter to utility.
With the VSAT system monitoring there will be
a very fast communication between the load 13) Online- complaints through SMS service
dispatch centers and also with the GSS so as to
regularize the system parameters and reduce the 14) Two Way Communication, which speed up
chance of instability. The biggest advantage of the data analysis.
VSAT system monitoring is that the critical
clearing time of the power system is exactly F) Conclusion
calculated and steps to safeguard the system
from instability by clearing the fault in time due The VSAT metering is a good solution
to fast communication between VSAT. for the remote meters where GSM or Other
networks are not possible. Its a good solution
(4) Real time energy auditing: for a highly reliable and continuously
In a country like India where losses are 25-35 upgradeable approach for any future up
% , the auditing of energy is really a tough task, gradation. In this paper we have evaluated a
but with the VSAT metering , the exact data and new method for metering in the remote areas
exact country load profile can be calculated and where the reach ability is very low. Though
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the concept is to more improvise but with a high 3. P= Power Transmitted
engineering end it can lead to be a new scenario 4. V1= Sending end voltage
and a revolution in the metering industry. The 5. V2=Receiving end voltage
Load monitoring is very effectively results after 6. = Rotor angle
the application of VSAT metering. The accurate 7. XL= Line Reactance
energy Auditing has achieved by VSAT 8. PG =Power
metering. difference in
generating and
G) References consuming
9. AMR= Automatic
1)Real Time GPS data transmission using VSAT
meter Reading
technology by Michael E. Jackson1*, Chuck Meertens1,
Oivind Ruud1, Spencer Reeder1, Warren Gallaher1, and 10. AMI= Advanced
Chris Rocken2 1University NAVSTAR Consortium metering
(UNAVCO), University Corporation for Atmospheric infrastructure
Research (UCAR) Office of Programs 2GPS Science & 11. PLC = Powel line communication
Technology (GST) Program, University Corporation for
12. SSL= Secure socket Layer
Atmospheric Research (UCAR) Office of Programs.
13. HHU= Hand Held Unit
2) V.S.A.T. By M. Habibullah Pagarkar of S.E.-I.T.
I) About the author
3)Trends in VSAT Networking By Rajesh Gera,
SATCOM.NIC.IN
Mr. Prashant Saxena is having a Graduate
4)Voice conferencing using VSAT Technology,BG Degree in Electrical engineering specialization
flowers (EBU) from University of Rajasthan. He is currently
working with Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Prasaran
5) Electrical Power system by CL wadhwa Nigam Limited. His main area of interest are
Power System monitoring, Power system design
and modeling, control systems and Real time
systems. He is currently working in the field of
H) Abbrevations power system to reduce commercial losses in
the system through real time application.
1. VSAT Very small apparture terminal
2. Pn= Power measured by nth meter