A Smart Device for Power Theft Detection

Abstract

AbstractIncreasing efficiency in the power sector does not occur only by improving the technical losses. Although many thoughtful improvisations like power line communication, advanced metering infrastructure have been done to decrease non-technical losses, but not at large scale. The idea of this work is to attain accurate detection of power theft without installing expensive meters. Proposed system combines and improvises conventional consumer meter and smart meter features to design and construct a small-scaled advanced metering infrastructure and enhancing it to detect and mitigate different methods of power theft with reliable communication using a cloud platform rather than GSM network. Proposed system is capable of locating the theft area and controls the illegal load usage, by placing a separate energy meter. The observer meter energy reading is compared with the value at the main energy meter situated at the individual subscriber’s premises. If any difference occurs between both meter readings, an error signal is sent to concerned authority stating power theft at particular location. ThingSpeak is handed down as a platform for cloud services and data transfer and IFTTT (if this then that), and an interface for sending an alert message without a GSM module is used. The proposed system is simulated on a Proteus platform for apartment models and household models and tested successfully.KeywordsSmart meterPower theftThingSpeakAdvanced metering infrastructureObserver meter