Intelligent Metering Systems Research Articles

Measuring volume fractions of a three-phase flow without separation utilizing an approach based on artificial intelligence and capacitive sensors.

Many different kind of fluids in a wide variety of industries exist, such as two-phase and three-phase. Various combinations of them can be expected and gas-oil-water is one of the most common flows. Measuring the volume fraction of phases without separation is vital in many aspects, one of which is financial issues. Many methods are utilized to ascertain the volumetric proportion of each phase. Sensors based on measuring capacity are so popular because this kind of sensor operates seamlessly and autonomously without necessitating any form of segregation or disruption for measuring in the process. Besides, at the present moment, Artificial intelligence (AI) can be nominated as the most useful tool in several fields, and metering is no exception. Also, three main type of regimes can be found which are annular, stratified, and homogeneous. In this paper, volume fractions in a gas-oil-water three-phase homogeneous regime are measured. To accomplish this objective, an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and a capacitance-based sensor are utilized. To train the presented network, an optimized sensor was implemented in the COMSOL Multiphysics software and after doing a lot of simulations, 231 different data are produced. Among all obtained results, 70 percent of them (161 data) are awarded to the train data, and the rest of them (70 data) are considered for the test data. This investigation proposes a new intelligent metering system based on the Multilayer Perceptron network (MLP) that can estimate a three-phase water-oil-gas fluid's water volume fraction precisely with a very low error. The obtained Mean Absolute Error (MAE) is equal to 1.66. This dedicates the presented predicting method's considerable accuracy. Moreover, this study was confined to homogeneous regime and cannot measure void fractions of other fluid types and this can be considered for future works. Besides, temperature and pressure changes which highly temper relative permittivity and density of the liquid inside the pipe can be considered for another future idea.

Performance analysis of different control models for smart demand–supply energy management system

Several features of innovative grid technologies can be deployed to improve the overall performance of the power system environment. This can be seen from the generation to the consumption of energy. The two-way communication of smart metering introduces the novel functionalities of the energy management system. This paper presents a practical implementation of using the intelligent metering system. It consists of implementing a nanogrid that optimally coordinates the energy from the solar panel, battery storage and utility grid to supply the end user. The developed model is validated with an optimal value of the state of charge of the distributed energy storage to maximise energy from the solar panel and battery storage while minimising the power received from the utility grid. A demand response scheme is employed to formulate the performance index of the energy management system using three optimal control models: adaptive open-loop control, adaptive closed-loop control and model predictive control schemes. The formulation of the performance index of each approach is a function of the energy flow from different resources depending on the power consumption. The three models have given different insights into the performance of the smart nanogrid, which may be used to the advantage of the grid owner or end user. Through the performance of the optimal strategies, it can be observed that energy management is ensured, and real-time monitoring of the entire system is guaranteed. The performance models facilitate the minimisation of the power from the utility, resulting in savings between 23.7% and 39.240% of the total energy demand from the end user. Besides, the system design is validated by an electrical system to form a real-world innovative nanogrid application in residential environments.

Intelligent metering systems designed to achieve energy efficiency of the production process

The intelligent electricity metering system is designed to collect data from electricity meters in an automatic mode (i.e. without the direct participation of the electricity consumer and other persons). Intelligent energy metering systems rely on a network of smart meters and have a number of new features: bidirectional interaction with meters; automated processing and storage of large amounts of data; flexible and user-friendly interface; active involvement of consumers in the process of energy management

Comparative environmental impact assessment of ICT for smart charging of electric vehicles in Germany

This study examines the environmental first-order effects of information and communication technologies (ICT) required for private smart charging of electric vehicles (EV) in Germany. With the focus on CO2-optimized charging, the environmental assessment compares bidirectional (V2G) and unidirectional (V1G) smart charging infrastructure to direct (uncontrolled) charging on a household level. Specifically, the applied life cycle assessment (LCA) investigates the production, transportation, operation and end-of-life phases of intelligent metering systems (iMSys) as well as private wallboxes operating with direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC). First, the technical prerequisites for smart and direct charging are outlined, with differences for direct charging depending on the household’s total electricity consumption. Secondly, the LCA shows an impact of 145.4 kg CO2-eq. per vehicle and year for V2G infrastructure by 2020, being 84 % higher than V1G (79 kg). The impact of direct charging infrastructure is significantly lower with 45.2 – 57.5 kg CO2-eq. per year. Due to the power consumption during the operation phase, the AC and DC wallboxes contribute most with 77% (V2G) and 57% (V1G) of the impact, respectively. Assuming ongoing decarbonization of the annual average German emission factor of electricity, the total impact of private charging infrastructure can be reduced by up to 56 % (V2G) and 67 % (V1G) by 2040. Next to the high energy efficiency of components, manufacturers should focus on a sustainable design of components including longevity. Overall, the environmental impact of the ICT infrastructure for smart charging is highly dependent on the charging strategy as it determines the annual duration of charging and discharging. Suggested further research involves investigations on first-order effects associated with other smart charging strategies (e.g. peak shaving), suitable allocation methods for multifunctional ICT components (e.g. iMSys), along with an assessment of higher-order effects such as energy system-wide environmental consequences.

SMART METERING SYSTEMS: АN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF TECHNOLOGY PERCEPTION FACTORS

The use of smart metering systems for electricity is one of the key components of the digital transition in the power industry. Smart metering systems are equipped with modules for collecting, processing, storing, sending and receiving data, and their implementation generates a wide range of effects for electricity companies, electricity consumers, as well as authorities and industry regulators. The functionality of smart metering systems can be significantly expanded when using non-intrusive load monitoring meters. The purpose of this work is to develop a list of factors that have both a positive and a negative impact on the perception of intelligent metering systems technologies both among power companies and end consumers - participants in retail electricity markets.At the first stage of the study, based on the models of E. Rogers and F. Davis, a list of factors influencing the adoption of smart metering technologies by both energy companies and end consumers of electricity was developed. Based on in-depth interviews with experts, the factors were verified and questionnaires were developed for the next stage of the study.At the second stage, a quantitative study was carried out, which made it possible to determine the degree of influence of factors on the adoption of smart metering technology by users.At the end of the work, recommendations were developed to accelerate the distribution of smart metering systems and quickly achieve positive effects from their implementation.

Method for determining the feasibility of grid and ancillary services through smart meter

The ongoing decentralisation of the energy system leads to an increasing number of technical units across all sectors. In the future, these components will be required to provide grid and ancillary services and thus gradually take over tasks that were previously provided by a central structure. To ensure a secure and interoperable infrastructure, intelligent metering systems (smart meter or iMSys) that are being rolled out must also be actually deployed. As the services have different technical requirements, these must be compared with the properties of the iMSys infrastructure. Since there are different approaches to the design of the iMSys infrastructure across the European countries, this paper presents with the House of Quality a methodological approach for the systematic comparison of requirements (services) and properties (iMSys) as well as a quantification of the implementation potential of the services. This provides an assessment of the relevance of individual functionalities for the implementation of services and enables the identification of functional gaps. Furthermore, the method is applied to 25 selected services and the different iMSys generations in Germany. This shows that available iMSys are very limited in their support of services (5 out of 25) but this number goes up to 21 with the coming iMSys generations. As a result, the feasibility of services is determined and missing functions are identified that enable the application of all considered services and thus provide the basis for a smart energy system. The method, as presented here for Germany, can be adapted for other countries with the individual framework conditions.

Smart market platform as a coordination mechanism of distributed flexibility for congestion management

Distribution networks and their operators will play a vital role in the Energiewende. Multitudes of units, which can provide flexibility, are connected to the distribution network. Currently, these units either lack connectivity altogether or are limited to bilateral communication. In the future, the rollout of smart metering technologies will enable the offering of decentralised units to various market actors via an interoperable information and communications technology infrastructure. The flexibility of decentralised units can also play an essential role in congestion management (CM) processes. This study describes fundamental key aspects in the development of a smart market platform as a new tool in CM. It answers the question of why a platform solution is the most suitable design principle, where the benefits of decentral flexibilities are and why an infrastructure with intelligent metering systems fits the requirements of the use case. The developed platform includes a proposal for the interaction of transmission system operators and distribution system operator in the CM process.

Implementation of the Intelligent Metering Systems for Natural Gas in Ukraine

The article proposed and justified the need for on-line calibration, the essence of which is to conduct individual calibration in real time directly at the place of operation of gas meters, taking into account the conditions and influential factors for which they conduct measurements to determine the actual calibration characteristics. This procedure should be one of the primary tools in ensuring widespread adoption of Metrology 4.0. It was noted that the key direction of development of the metrology industry should be the conformity assessment of the gas control and metering system. The given example of calculations (Table 1) carried out in assessing the compliance of such a system. It was found that the greatest weight has the error of the gas meter. In order to carry out the on-line calibration procedure, it is proposed to use the installation with parallel installed reference meters (Fig. 1), which is designed as a mobile stand with the ability to be transported to the work site. The necessity of on-line calibration is justified on the example of the obtained characteristics of gas meters (Fig. 2, Fig. 3). The results of the gas meter calibration on the working environment natural gas (Fig. 4) are presented and the total uncertainty of the gas metering system is calculated (Table 2). The application of the on-line calibration procedure leads to the need to develop the concept of introducing intelligent or smart metering of natural gas using intelligent information-measuring systems. As part of the implementation of smart metering, the possible introduction of two-tariff metering of natural gas. As a tool for statistical processing of the data, it has been proposed to apply control charts that have been tested for reference standards and are recommended in international documents.

Smart Metering Wireless Networks at 169 MHz

Intelligent metering systems are being rolled-out on a large-scale worldwide, enabling consumer to make informed choices about consumption patterns and energy saving, while supporting the development of new retail services and products. Unfortunately, the lack of established and shared international standards represents a serious hindrance to be overcome for a complete development of a profitable market. The identification of suitable communication protocols and cost-effective network architectures represent a challenging aspect. In this framework, different network design solutions for wireless smart metering systems at 169 MHz are considered and investigated in this paper, aiming at cost efficient deployment based on extensive re-use of existing infrastructures in urban scenarios, namely, macro-cellular and lighting networks. Coverage assessment and frequency planning issues are addressed, together with an ad hoc measurement campaign carried out to fill the gap in the knowledge of urban propagation in the 169 MHz band. Results show that cost-effective deployment of the intelligent metering network is achievable. Notably, a spatial reuse factor larger than the overall number of available frequency channels might be necessary, thus meaning that the spectral resources shall be also allocated according to a time division scheme, where the hubs are switched off at turn. Anyway, this requirement should not affect the overall reading rate in practical applications.

Roadmap for Smart Metering in the Slovak Republic

The Slovak Republic (SR) is an inland country in the middle of Europe with a total area of 49 035 km2 and population 5.45 million people. The capital is Bratislava and the country is member of the European Union. The annual electric energy consumption is 28 862 GWh and production is 28 135 GWh (2011). The average electricity consumption in the household sector is 2.5 MWh per year and the average price is 140 EUR/MWh. The electric energy distribution in Slovakia is assured by 3 regional distribution companies covering 2.35 million points of supply. The annual volume of supplied electric energy by distribution companies via HV and LV networks has reached the level of 18 000 GWh. The area of electric energy distribution is regulated by the independent authority Regulatory Office for Network Industries. The Slovak Republic has approved the Concept of Energy Efficiency, having the primary target to achieve gradual lowering of energy demands to the level of European Union. In the years 2001 – 2010, the total volume of final electric energy consumption was reduced by 6%, i.e. by 7 TWh. Construction of intelligent metering systems is another step to achieve a higher energy efficiency, according to the Concept of Energy Efficiency of SR and according to the Directive of the European Parliament and Council 2009/72/EC of July 13, 2009. The intelligent metering systems are perceived as a part of a smart grid construction, conducted already for several years by main manufacturers, operators of the transmission and distribution systems. Automated meter reading (AMR) based solutions have covered all significant points of supply in the wholesale category, in a total number of 50 000 with consumption monitoring reaching the total volume of approximately 50% of consumed electric energy. At the LV voltage level, most of the points of supply have an electromechanical or static meter installed. The Regulatory Office for Network Industries in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy assessed the analysis of deploying intelligent metering systems for the LV level positively, and joined other European countries, such as Germany, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Latvia, Portugal and Belgium. The economic assessment of the AMI deployment project in Slovakia and implementation of intelligent metering systems is assumed within the years 2013 to 2020. The project covers the points of supply with annual consumption above 4 MWh, representing approximately 23% of all assumed points of supply at the LV voltage level. The target number of points of supply, expected to have the intelligent meters installed by 2020, is approximately 600 000, with consumption representing approximately 53% of the total annual consumption of electric energy at the LV voltage level. The rollout scope could be affected by the planned revaluation of CBA. The implementation is based on several types of intelligent 1 and 3 phase meters, according to the supply point type, which are differentiated by their functional specification in basic, advanced and special ones. The total assumed annual economic benefits following the implementation of intelligent metering system and installation of intelligent meters at the LV level are expected to be around EUR 36.16 per one point of supply. The biggest benefit will belong to the end customer. The CAPEX figures per one point of supply should be around EUR 131.00 and the operating costs OPEX should be EUR 8.23 per annum. Most of the problems in specification and architecture design are caused the current extent of standardization, legislation and return of investment. In order to verify the technical and economic assumptions, a pilot project will be launched in the years 2013 – 2014 covering 1% of the total final volume, i.e. approximately 6 000 points of supply. The rollout itself is planned in the years to follow. Until the end of 2016, it will cover the consumers having the annual consumption more than 15 MWh with a maximum reserve capacity in the point of supply at least 30 kW, or at least 45 A and until the end of 2020 the consumers having the annual consumption more than 4 MWh with maximum reserve capacity in the point of supply less than 30 kW or 45 A.

Beyond Gut Level – Some Critical Remarks on the German Privacy Approach to Smart Metering

The European Directive on common rules for the internal market in electricity (2009/72/EC) requires all member states to 'ensure the implementation of intelligent metering systems' in order to foster a more active involvement of customers in the electricity market. Such intelligent metering systems are able to collect and transmit consumption data in a significantly increased resolution and therefore raise privacy concerns. On the other hand, high-resolution measurement data are an essential basis for achieving the aims of higher overall energy efficiency and a significantly increased proportion of electricity originating from fluctuating renewable sources.While European activities are still in an early stage, Germany has recently amended the national energy law and established specific and comprehensive regulations directed at security and privacy in smart metering environments. The underlying German approach to the regulation of smart grid privacy is examined and critically discussed in the light of the necessary functional provisions within an electricity grid under the regulatory regime of a liberalized market. Alternative approaches from the Netherlands and the UK are presented and compared to the German one. Finally, some implications are derived that might prove valuable for ongoing activities addressing smart grid privacy on the European level.

Energy Management in Public Buildings Using IFIX-Based SCADA System

A systematic and detailed introduction of IFIX-based SCADA system in public buildings is given in this paper. SCADA system consisting of on-site computer control system, central operation station and intelligent metering system, makes the energy-management system complete. It reflects the energy consumption status reasonably by energy monitoring, combined metering as well as apportion in terms of acquirement. By means of equipments’ energy consumption analysis, the running mode of equipments is adjusted to reduce energy consumption in buildings. The advanced function of SCADA system, moving forward, should be self-adaptive energy management with the advent of intelligent building.

Intelligent Grid: Unfinished Regulation in the Third EU Energy Package

The introduction of intelligent grids and/or intelligent metering systems promises much from the perspective of the three pillars of European law and policy: security of supply, sustainable development and competition. The analysis in this article mainly covers the legal provisions of the third energy liberalisation package of the European Union (EU) and the regulatory challenges connected with the introduction of intelligent grids and/or intelligent metering systems. Legal regulations in the new liberalization directives seem to be ‘unfinished’ as the development of intelligent grids and/or intelligent metering systems is dynamically evolving. The author argues that the uncertainty of future legal provisions should not be considered as a barrier to intelligent grids and/or intelligent metering systems deployment and presents his prognosis of the future development of legal regulations in this respect. Furthermore, the author suggests that the deployment of smart grids will change many aspects of regulatory policy, which will have to evolve towards ‘output-based regulation’.

한국형 스마트 전력량계 부가서비스 적용방안 연구

Electronic watt hour meters(WHM) for high pressure running in domestic were installed to the digital type meter and ones for low pressure are expected to complete within several years. Domestic power metering technology is being beyond a simple framework with an electronic type and is rapidly evolving to intelligent smart metering systems in conjunction with promotion of a national smart grid project. Major policy outlook of the world's major power company regarding Intelligent metering is the application of the fare structure diversification and is the improvement of level of service to customers. In addition, electric power companies should focus on the cost reduction and the improvement of management efficiency through an efficient operation of distribution facility. In this paper, we are about to make an observation of the additional services technology development trend of the overseas smart meter and to have a view of value-added services(VAS) system of smart meter suitable for the domestic environment based on the technology development of VAS utilizing electronic watt hour meter performed by recent research projects.