new perspectives in amr technology implementation for consumer load management m.i.c. stephenson...

NEW PERSPECTIVES IN AMR TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTATION

FOR CONSUMER LOAD MANAGEMENT

M.I.C. STEPHENSONCambridge University- UK

Barcelona 12-15 May 2003

38 CAM_Stephenson_A1 CONTROL & MONITORING, DEVELOPMENT OF COSTS & COMPETITIVENESS 1

M. SCUTARIUElectrica Muntenia Sud- Romania

PresenterP.M. STEPHENSON Kingston University- UK

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AMR- Automatic Meter Reading

“Reading a utility meter without the requirement for visual inspection of the meter”

Meter Interface Unit

Data Collection

Unit

Data TransmissionExamples phone lines /dial-up

power line carrier, LAN, Wireless (handheld or WLAN)

Utility Company Computer database


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Technologies for enhanced AMR

Short-range radio data communication

BLUETOOTH 802.11

Packet-based data communication over mobile telephone networks

GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)


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General Packet Radio Service-GPRS

• Used for email / web browsing from mobile phones• Packet-based data protocol

No dial-up time and speed comparable with a modem

• Charged by-the-byte not by-the-second

• Can provide a cost-effective, wireless, always-on, two-way data link between electricity company and its meters

Card Phone


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GPRS- Key facts


PACKET data transfer GPRS module

Data transfer rate 56kbit/s

Typical cost per module €140

Typical data cost per MB €1.50 - €2.50

Typical module dimensions

45x89x11mm

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GPRS enabled AMR System

Utility Company Computer

Mobile Phone Provider

Internet


DATA

PACKETS

2 way data transfer

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Benefits of GPRS-enabled AMR• Infrastructure already exists – mobile phone net gives economic, packet based data transfer

• Data is charged by-the-byte and system is “always ready” to send packets • Uses the internet – communicating with many meters simply requires a single broadcast message

• Intelligent Meters may send back additional information eg Peak load, Power Quality, Outage etc


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GPRS Real-Time Pricing Application

2. Determines the list of customers for tariff change

1.Central computer registers change in price band

• ------------

• -------------

• ------------

• -----------------------

• -------------

• -----------------

3. Via the internet and GPRS connection, it updates all meters to the new tariff or price


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Bluetooth and 802.11 devices- Key Facts


Bluetooth 802.11

Typical Range ~50m 200m

Data transfer rate 1Mbit/s 11Mbit/s

Typical cost per module

€5 €50

Typical module dimensions

30x20x5 mm 50x50x5 mm

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Bluetooth /802.11• Short-range radio data technology (50* - 200m)• Designed for wireless networking and to eliminate wires between mobile devices

• 1- 11Mbit/s bandwidth (20x-200x faster than a modem)

• Bluetooth devices identify each other when brought close together*

(*Bluetooth range depends on class)

Bluetooth Module


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Why use Bluetooth?

• 1Mbit/sec data rate provides ample bandwidth

• 2.4GHz band is license-exempt, worldwide

• Modules are small, inexpensive (~$5 each) & could be retro-fitted to an existing digital meter

• Non-directional – does not require line of sight

• Bluetooth devices identify each other uniquely and automatically


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Hardware for wireless enabled AMR

Digital Utility Meter

Small antenna

Low-power Microcontroller

Small amount of RAM/ROM

Bluetooth/802.11 Transceiver


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• Bluetooth devices in piconets communicate with each other

• Data can be cascaded from one BT meter to another and aggregated at the meter-reading unit.

• Cost savings–meter reader needs no entry to premises-200 meters read in minutes via hand unit

Bluetooth based AMR - Data cascading


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Extension of wireless based AMR system - Data Logging

• Each digital meter already has a small CPU and memory

• Adding data-logging capability would be trivial software matter.

• Load profile data can be stored, and downloaded when the meter is read

• Half-hourly load data for six months could be downloaded in 20 seconds via Bluetooth.


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CONCLUSIONS

1 - GPRS• Packet-based data over mobile telephone networks - flexible and economic

• Two-way data link for AMR anywhere with mobile phone coverage

• A rapid and relatively cheap way to communicate in real-time with a large number of utility meters

• Uses the internet, with possibilities to create a “dedicated or private internet”


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CONCLUSIONS

2 - Bluetooth / 802.11• Short-range radio data communication• Devices low cost / flexible but short range

• Allow Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) without personnel entering premises, giving cost savings and potential for enhanced data recovery

• Overlapping piconets allow data cascading

• BT/802.11 devices do not need line of sight


NEW PERSPECTIVES IN AMR TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTATION

M.I.C. STEPHENSON

Cambridge University- UK


38 CAM_Stephenson_A1 CONTROL & MONITORING, DEVELOPMENT OF COSTS & COMPETITIVENESS 17

M. SCUTARIU

Electrica Muntenia Sud- Romania

Presenter

PAULE STEPHENSON

Kingston University- UK

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

I WILL BE PLEASED TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS

new perspectives in amr technology implementation for consumer load management m.i.c. stephenson...

Documents

data transfer data

module140typical data

mbitsec data rate

twoway data link

mobile devices

wireless enabled amr

modem bluetooth devices

amr system