DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A WIRELESS SMART METER

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A WIRELESS SMART METER

Abstract

 

Consumers’ complaints of estimated bills from the Utility have risen to an alarming extent in recent years. On the other hand, Utility incurs huge losses attributing it to electric energy consumption theft among consumers. These complaints by the utility and the consumer led to the quest for a system that in addition to recording energy consumption data, will be able to compute and report the data to the Utility remotely. This work proposes the implementation of smart meter which can effectively and seamlessly record, compute and report the consumers’ energy consumption data remotely, as an effective means to halt estimated bills from the Utility and energy consumption theft among consumers. The design was implemented using prototypical methodology and was integrated with Global system for mobile communication to facilitate communication between the Utility and the Smart meter. In conclusion, it explored the use of smart meter technology in ensuring remote reporting of data in the overall interest of enhancing electric energy distribution in Nigeria.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Dedication …………………………………………………………………………………………………….i

Certification Page ……………………………………………………………………………………….. iii

Acknowledgement ……………………………………………………………………………………… iv

Abstract ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. v

TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………………………..v

LIST OF FIGURES ……………………………………………………………………………………. ix

1.0 INTRODUCTION ………………………………………………………………………………….. 1

1.1 Background of study ……………………………………………………………………………. 1

1.2 Problem statement ……………………………………………………………………………….. 1

1.3 Aims/ Objectives …………………………………………………………………………………. 2

1.4 Scope of study …………………………………………………………………………………….. 2

1.5 Significance of the work ………………………………………………………………………. 3

CHAPTER 2 ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4

2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW ………………………………………………………………………… 4

2.1 Brief history of Electric Meter ………………………………………………………………. 4

2.2 Review of related Past Work ………………………………………………………………… 6

2.3 Review of the Current Metering System ………………………………………………… 7

2.4 Review of smart meter …………………………………………………………………………. 8

2.5 Types of Communication Systems Adopted by the Smart meter ………………10a. Radio Frequency – RF ………………………………………………………………………11

1. Power Line Carrier – PLC ………………………………………………………………….12
2. GSM Technology ……………………………………………………………………………..12
3. Telephone line/ Dial up: …………………………………………………………………….13
4. Cellular communication (GPRS) ………………………………………………………..13
5. Home Area Network ………………………………………………………………………….14
   • Merits of smart meter ………………………………………………………………………….14
   • Smart Meter Applications ……………………………………………………………………16
6. Dynamic rate: …………………………………………………………………………………..16
7. Fast power outage location: ……………………………………………………………….17
8. Fast recovery from blackout: ……………………………………………………………..17
9. Remote connectivity: ………………………………………………………………………..17CHAPTER THREE ……………………………………………………………………………………. 18
   • DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY …………………………………………………………. 18
   • Design Objectives …………………………………………………………………………….18
   • Design consideration ………………………………………………………………………..19 Cost: ……………………………………………………………………………………………….19
10. Availability ………………………………………………………………………………………19
11. Strength and Shock: ………………………………………………………………………….20
12. Efficiency and Reliability: …………………………………………………………………20
13. Health effect: ……………………………………………………………………………………21

3.3 Design specification ……………………………………………………………………………21a. Power Source ……………………………………………………………………………………21

1. Wireless communication ……………………………………………………………………21
2. Choice of microcontroller ………………………………………………………………….22
   • Hardware design ………………………………………………………………………………..22
   • Explanation of the Various Subunits …………………………………………………..23

• Supply from Utility: ………………………………………………………………………23
• Power supply: ……………………………………………………………………………….23
• Load power sensing:………………………………………………………………………23
• Microcontroller unit: ……………………………………………………………………..29
• GSM module: ……………………………………………………………………………….30
• LCD display unit: ………………………………………………………………………….32
• Buttons unit: …………………………………………………………………………………33
  • Integration of all subsystems that make up the Wireless Smart Meter …….35
  • Precautions taken during the assembly of the system ……………………………36
  • Principle of operation of our smart meter ……………………………………………37
  • Programming of components ……………………………………………………………….38
    • Microcontroller ……………………………………………………………………………38
    • GSM modem …………………………………………………………………………..38

3.10 Algorithm and Flowchart …………………………………………………………………..39

• Algorithm ………………………………………………………………………………….39
• Flowchart ………………………………………………………………………………40CHAPTER FOUR ………………………………………………………………………………………. 41

• RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS ……………………………………………………………. 41
• Results ………………………………………………………………………………………………41

4.1.1 Simulation Result …………………………………………………………………………41

4.2 Test Results ……………………………………………………………………………………….42

CHAPTER FIVE ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 51

• CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION ………………………………………… 51
• Summary …………………………………………………………………………………………..51

5.1.1 Challenges Encountered………………………………………………………………..51

      Financial constraints:……………………………………………………………………..51

5.1.2 Challenges to the implementation of smart meter …………………………….52

5.2 Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………………………..54

5.3       Recommendations …………………………………………………………………………54

5.3 Research for further studies …………………………………………………………………55

REFERENCES ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 56

APPENDIX ONE ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 59

MICROCONTROLLER PROGRAMMING USING C++ PROGRAMMING

LANGUAGE ………………………………………………………………………………………….59

APPENDIX TWO ………………………………………………………………………………………. 82

CHAPTER 1

1.0 INTRODUCTION

 

1.1 Background of study

As the commercial use of electric energy spread in the 1880s, it became increasingly important that an electric measuring device be introduced to properly bill consumers for the cost of consumed energy [1] , [2] . Thus, Utility companies devised a means to satisfactorily measure the energy consumption of a home (hourly, weekly or on monthly basis). This was achieved by the invention of the electric meter which measures electrical energy consumption for billing purposes.  An electric meter is a device that measures the amount of electric energy that is been used up by electrical appliances in a residential home, offices, places of business, government establishments, hospitals, etc. Electric meters operate by continuously measuring the instantaneous voltage (volts) and current (amperes) to give energy used (in joules/ kilowatt-hour etc.) [1] . Electric utilities use electric meters installed at consumers’ site to monitor the consumers’ electric energy consumption, for proper billing purposes. They are typically calibrated in billing units. The most common one being the kilowatt hour (kWh), which is equal to the amount of energy used by a load of one kilowatt over a period of one hour.

 

1.2 Problem statement

Consumers’ complaints of estimated bills have risen to an alarming extent in recent years. They argue that the Utility bill them excessively, thereby paying for energy they did not consume. On the other hand, the utility themselves incurs huge losses, which is tailored down to electricity energy consumption theft amongst consumers.  Again, the issue of real-time monitoring at the consumers site by the utility, collectively have led to the quest for a metering system that could give a real-time computation of electricity data usage at the consumer site and then relay it remotely to the utility.

 

1.3 Aims/ Objectives

The major aim of this project is to design and construct A Wireless Smart Meter.

Other aims include;

• To sense (i.e. in real-time) and compute the energy consumption of a smart home.
• To remotely relay to the utility a data (i.e. information), pertaining to the consumed energy of a smart home on an hourly basis for monitoring and for accurate billing purposes.
• To put an end to the challenges of over-estimated bills, which is one of the major challenges, faced by electricity consumers here in Nigeria.
• To improve on energy management amongst consumers (that is, for them to better manage their energy purchase), thereby making them an active member in the system; where one is now conscious of his/her electricity energy consumption.
• To also bridge the gap in electric energy consumption theft amongst consumers, which its effect usually results in the utility spending fortunes for infrastructural maintenance.

Scope of study

This project work covers the design and construction of a smart meter for recording and reporting electric energy consumption data to the Utility using a PIC microcontroller and GSM as the means for wireless communication. The system is modeled using Proteus circuit simulation software. A review was also made on past works on smart meter. Unit tests and system testing were also done and documented.

 

• Significance of the work

• This work will be useful to consumers (industries and homes) in adopting the most suitable metering technology solutions to the problems of energy management.
• Its recommendations could serve as a powerful tool towards achieving the best energy management concept among electricity power utility companies.
• Its recommendations and implementation will constitute an instrument for the adoption of the best metering technology, an act that is important to curb electricity energy theft.

Finally, this work is expected to contribute significantly to existing literature in the subject under investigation

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A WIRELESS SMART METER

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