Tamper Logics and Testing

Presented by
Ch.V.N.Rajesh

Introduction

1.
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3.

4.
5.
6.

This Program explains about

Types of Tampers available in meter.
Tamper features role in meters.
How single phase and poly phase meters are
tampered.
Tampers testing methods.
What is the latest trend of tampers.
Storage mechanisms in our meters.

Tampers in Meter
Poly Phase meters:

Voltage Failure

Current Failure

Voltage Unbalance

Current Unbalance

Current Bypass

Current reversal

Low Power factor

Neutral Disturbance

Magnetic logging

High ESD Detection

Power fail records

Terminal / Meter Cover open tamper

Single Phase Meters:

Reversal Tamper

Full Earth Load Tamper

Partial Earth Load Tamper

Magnetic Tamper

Current Bypass

Single wire Tamper

Terminal / Meter Cover open tamper

Voltage Failure
Connection Error with HT terminal box

Voltage

Taping missed while connecting

Metering box

Internal cal links are not closed

R=
0V

Intentionally PT wire is removed for

HT & LT CT meters

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

R- IN

Relay connected to Internal PT wires

Impact is 33.33% less consumption in
meter

1 2 3 4 5

Y- IN

Load
B- IN

Threshold is <55% of Vref

Tamper records when ever voltage
less than the threshold value i.e for HT
4W 34.925 V, LT 132V, HT 3 W 60.5V

Common out to R, Y, B

Connection for 4 CT meters

During Testing Voltage values should

very nearer to Satisfactory voltages.
In Firmware Vref & 55% is the key
factors, some of the times Vref for HT
63V & LT 230V instead of 63.5 &240.

Link to Pictures ..

Voltage Unbalance
This can occur because of:
Load unbalance

Volta
ge

Intentionally add resistor to secondary

wire for HT And LT CT meters

Les consumption in meter

Testing :
Threshold is Vmax Vmin >30% of
Vref

B
Y

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

R- IN

Resistor values modification by

opening the meter
Impact :

Y- IN

Load
B- IN
Common out to R, Y, B

Connection for 4 CT meters

Tamper records when ever difference

in voltages are greater than the
threshold value i.e for HT 4W 19.05 V,
LT 72V, HT 3 W 33V
In Firmware Vref & 30% is the key
factors, some of the times Vref for HT
63V & LT 230V instead of 63.5 &240.

Link to Pictures ..

Current Failure
This can occur because of:
Connection error in HT TB box

Full CT bypass in all meters

Voltage
from
phantom
load

Primary CT failure in LT CT meters

B
Y
R

CT failure in the meters

Testing :
Threshold is <2% of In

Load from
Tamper records when ever current is phantom load

less than the threshold value i.e for 1A

0.02A & 5A 0.1A
In Firmware In & 2% is the key
factors, some of the times 1A CT
tamping also threshold is 0.1A

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

R- IN

Y- IN

B- IN

Common out to R, Y, B

Connection for 4 CT meters

Link to Pictures ..

Current Unbalance
This can occur because of:
Loose Connection in HT TB &LT CT
box
With out a proper planning of load
distribution

Voltage
from
phantom
load

Testing :
Threshold is

Imax Imin >30% of

Ibasic
Tamper records difference in phase
current crosses the threshold value i.e
for 1A 0.3A & 5A 1.5A
In Firmware Ibasic & 30% is the key
factors, some of the times 1A CT
tamping also threshold is 1.5A

B
Y
R

1 2 3 4 5

Current bypass is detected through

Current unbalance for 3 Ct meters
Burden resistor change in metes

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

R- IN

Load from
phantom load

Y- IN

B- IN

Common out to R, Y, B

Connection for 4 CT meters

Link to Pictures ..

Current Reversal
This can occur because of:

Voltage

Wrong connection HT TB &LT CT box

Wrong connection at meter end

Intentionally reverse the CT at
primary or secondary

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Inside of the meter reverse the

secondary wire
Load from
phantom load

Testing :

ve power >5% of
Vref* Ibasic & PF >0.2 or negative
power >1%
Threshold is

Tamper records phase negative power

>5% and PF 0.2 or Negative total
power is >1%
In Firmware 5% & 1% power
thresholds are the key factors.

Common out to R, Y, B

Connection for 4 CT meters

Link to Pictures ..

Current Bypass
This can occur because of:
Voltage
from
By shorting Primary CT wires at meter phantom
load

By shorting secondary CT wires at

meter box

Burden modified to high values

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

R- IN

Neutral CT reversal in the meter

Testing :

Load from
phantom load

Threshold is Magnetitude of Ir+Iy+IbIn >20% of Ib

Tamper records magnetitude of phase
wise currents vectorial addition are
subtracted with neutral current is
greater than 20% of Ib

Y- IN

B- IN

Common out to R, Y, B

Connection for 4 CT meters

In Firmware 20% is the key factor.

Current unbalance and Current bypass
should not occur at same time.
With normal connection tamper
should not false trigger.

Link to Pictures ..

Low Power Factor

This can occur because of:
Only capacitor bank is on

Voltage
from
phantom
load

Testing :

Threshold is ve power <5% of

Vref* Ibasic & PF <0.2 or negative
power <1%
Tamper records phase negative Load from
phantom load
power <5% and PF <0.2 or
Negative total power is <1%
In Firmware 5% & 1% power
thresholds are the key factors.

B
Y
R

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

R- IN

Y- IN

B- IN

Common out to R, Y, B

Connection for 4 CT meters

Link to Pictures ..

Neutral Disturbance
This can occur because of:
Phase and neutral inter change

Ac voltage applied to neutral

Voltage
from
phantom
load

DC voltage is applied to neutral

B
Y
N

Testing :

Threshold is Votage >150% of Vref

Tamper records phase voltage
Load from
>150% of Vref
phantom load
In Firmware 150% of Vref is the
key factor, some of the times 125%
used to be as threshold.

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

R- IN

Y- IN

B- IN

Common out to R, Y, B

Connection for 4 CT meters

Link to Pictures ..

Magnetic tamper
This can occur because of:
Magnetic field presence to the meter
Testing :

Magneto sensor card used to sense the magnetic filed, Card sends
signal to controller.
Meter senses the magnetic field records as magnetic tamper and energy
recording is based on Vref*Imax*UPF.
In Firmware Imax recording is the key factor.

Link to Pictures ..

1 Phase meter Tampers

Reversal Tamper is
deducted when ever there is
phase difference of 180
degrees between voltage
and current.
Earth load is deducted
when there is a difference in
phase and neutral current.
Single wire condition is
deducted by using power CT,
which produce voltage with
presence of Voltage
Bypass is deducted by
comparing phase and neutral
current.
Magnetic and
terminal/meter cover open
tampers same like poly
phase meters.

Link to Pictures ..

New Tampers & Some Examples

High ESD applied to the meter, By using Spark plug.
It use to give high voltage around 35KV with spark duration of 600usec.
Terminal cover / Meter Cover open detection tamper recently included in meters.
In our meter we have three type of storage mechanism are available
a) Block Method
b) Sequential
c) Sequential Block

Link to Pictures ..

Thank you