Electricity meter circuit and battery life measurement method for facilitating battery life measurement

Abstract

The application relates to an electric energy meter circuit and a battery life measurement method, which are convenient for battery life measurement. The electric energy meter circuit comprises a battery BT1, a super capacitor C1 and a power supply circuit V1. The battery BT1, the super capacitor C1 and the power supply circuit V1 are connected with electronic circuits such as a main MCU through competition. A short-circuit point CB1 for battery life measurement under the condition that the power supply circuit V1 is powered off is arranged between the outputs of the battery BT1 and the super capacitor C1. Compared with the prior art, the application has the advantages of more accurate and faster battery life measurement, simpler design, more convenient production and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a power supply circuit for an electricity meter, and more particularly to an electricity meter circuit and a method for conveniently measuring battery life. Background Technology

[0002] Current State Grid electricity meter designs include a battery for power outage indication and a supercapacitor to power the real-time clock in case of battery low voltage. State Grid requires the meter battery to operate for 5 years during a power outage. However, achieving this 5-year requirement requires a considerable amount of time in actual testing. Furthermore, the standard does not provide a testing method for determining the 5-year battery lifespan.

[0003] A search revealed two patents: "Method for Monitoring Battery Power Consumption of Electricity Meters" (patent application number CN 104678314 A) and "Automatic Battery Power Consumption Monitor and Usage Method of Electricity Meters" (authorization announcement number CN 104833942 B). These patents propose adding a fixed voltage-dividing resistor to the battery circuit and determining the battery power consumption by sampling the voltage across the resistor. However, for specific electricity meters, there may be wake-up processes during the non-sleep mode, and the current flowing through these processes will differ. Therefore, this method may not be accurate.

[0004] The patent "An Accelerated Testing System and Method for Single-Phase Energy Meter Battery Life" (authorization announcement number CN105044614B) simulates complex operating conditions such as power outages and restorations under real-load conditions, and varying temperatures and humidity, inducing the processor inside the energy meter to operate in a high-power state, accelerating the battery discharge process, and obtaining accelerated battery life test values ​​to evaluate the lifespan of single-phase energy meter batteries under field operating conditions. However, using the energy consumption of the energy meter during its sleep phase to determine its energy consumption in normal sleep mode lacks rigorous scientific basis.

[0005] The patent "A Method for Testing the Performance of a Smart Energy Meter Clock Battery Based on Operating Condition Simulation" (authorization announcement number CN106019167B) proposes to collect and measure the static power consumption of the energy meter; collect and measure the dynamic power consumption of the energy meter; and establish data models and data charts for the measured static and dynamic power consumption data respectively, and analyze and calculate the battery life of the energy meter. However, it does not explain how to measure the static and dynamic power consumption of the energy meter.

[0006] The current method for measuring the power consumption of electricity meters during power outages generally adopts... Figure 1The circuit board has pre-drilled shorting points for testing. When the energy meter is in normal use, the two shorting points are shorted, and the supercapacitor C1 and battery BT1 operate normally. When it is necessary to test the battery power consumption, CB1 and CB2 are disconnected to prevent the supercapacitor from supplying power to the chip. A resistor is connected between the two terminals of CB2. In the event of a power outage, the current of the energy meter is calculated based on the voltage detected across the resistor, and then the operating time in the event of a power outage is calculated based on the capacity of battery BT1. Figure 1 In this diagram, C1 is a supercapacitor, and BT1 is a battery. Under uninterrupted power conditions, the electricity meter is powered by V1. During a power outage, the electricity meter is powered by both the supercapacitor and the battery.

[0007] The existing circuit has two shortcomings. One is that the current consumed by the energy meter during a power outage is not constant. Therefore, when measuring the current consumption, if the resistor connected between CB2 is too small, the voltage across the resistor will be too low, making voltage detection difficult. If the resistor is too large, the voltage across the resistor will be too high when the energy meter consumes a large current, resulting in an insufficient supply voltage to the energy meter chip, potentially affecting the chip's normal operation and introducing measurement errors. The other drawback is that during normal production, two terminals need to be shorted, increasing the workload. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a convenient energy meter circuit and battery life measurement method.

[0009] The objective of this invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, an energy meter circuit for convenient battery life measurement is provided, comprising a battery BT1, a supercapacitor C1, and a power supply circuit V1. The battery BT1, the supercapacitor C1, and the power supply circuit V1 are connected in parallel, and their output terminals are connected to electronic circuits such as a main MCU. The characteristic feature is that a shorting point CB1 for convenient battery life measurement is provided between the outputs of the battery BT1 and the supercapacitor C1.

[0011] As a preferred technical solution, the battery BT1 is connected to the electricity meter circuit in a detachable manner.

[0012] As a preferred technical solution, the output terminal of the supercapacitor C1 is connected to the energy meter through diode D1.

[0013] As a preferred technical solution, the output terminal of the battery BT1 is connected to the energy meter through diode D3.

[0014] As a preferred technical solution, the output terminal of the power supply circuit V1 is connected to the energy meter through diode D2.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for measuring battery life using the aforementioned energy meter circuit is provided, wherein the battery life measurement method is performed by shorting the CB1 shorting point under the condition of power failure and battery removal.

[0016] As a preferred technical solution, when the electricity meter is de-energized, i.e., the power supply circuit V1 is not powered, a voltage measuring tool is used to measure the voltage drop across the positive and negative terminals of the supercapacitor C1 within a set time to calculate the current of the electricity meter under power-off conditions, and then the battery life is calculated based on the current.

[0017] As a preferred technical solution, the formula for calculating battery life is as follows:

[0018] T = Cbt / (C1 * (U1 - U2) / t)

[0019] Where Cbt is the battery capacity;

[0020] C1 is the capacitance of the supercapacitor;

[0021] U1 and U2 are the voltages across the capacitor at the start and end of the test, respectively.

[0022] t represents the duration of the experiment;

[0023] T represents battery life.

[0024] As a preferred technical solution, the voltage measuring tool is a multimeter.

[0025] Compared with existing technologies, the circuit and measurement method of this invention effectively measure the average current of the electricity meter under power outage conditions through a period of operation, thus obtaining the accurate lifespan of the electricity meter battery. Furthermore, the electricity meter circuit design is simpler, eliminating the need for short-circuiting operations during production, making manufacturing more convenient. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 The specific circuit diagram of the existing circuit;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a specific circuit diagram of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0029] like Figure 2 As shown, an energy meter circuit for convenient battery life measurement includes a battery BT1, a supercapacitor C1, and a power supply circuit V1. The battery BT1, supercapacitor C1, and power supply circuit V1 are connected in parallel, and their output terminals are connected to electronic circuits such as the main MCU. A shorting point CB1 is provided between the outputs of the battery BT1 and the supercapacitor C1 for shorting when the power supply circuit V1 is interrupted and battery life measurement is required.

[0030] The battery BT1 is connected to the electricity meter circuit in a detachable manner.

[0031] The output terminal of the supercapacitor C1 is connected to the main MCU and other electronic circuits via diode D1. The output terminal of the battery BT1 is connected to the main MCU and other electronic circuits via diode D3. The output terminal of the power supply circuit V1 is connected to the main MCU and other electronic circuits via diode D2.

[0032] A shorting point is set between the output of supercapacitor C1 and battery BT1. When the energy meter is operating normally, the shorting point is not shorted. In the event of a power outage, the supercapacitor and battery compete to supply power to the energy meter.

[0033] When measuring the battery life of an electricity meter, disconnect the power to the meter, remove battery BT1 (as required by the State Grid, batteries can be easily removed and replaced), and short-circuit CB1. This allows the supercapacitor C1 to power the meter chip, and the meter operates in its normal sleep state. Measure the voltage across supercapacitor C1 (using a multimeter or similar tool). After a period of time (possibly 10 hours), measure the voltage across supercapacitor C1 again. Calculate the current consumption of the meter during a power outage based on the voltage difference. Then, calculate the battery life under power outage conditions based on the capacity of battery BT1.

[0034] The calculation formula is as follows:

[0035] T = Cbt / (C1 * (U1 - U2) / t)

[0036] Where Cbt is the battery capacity, in Ah;

[0037] C1 is the capacitance of the supercapacitor, measured in F (farads);

[0038] U1 and U2 are the voltages across the capacitor at the start and end of the test, respectively, in volts (V).

[0039] t represents the test duration, in seconds;

[0040] T represents battery life, measured in hours (h).

[0041] This invention's circuit effectively measures the average power consumption of the electricity meter during a power outage by operating for a relatively short period, thus obtaining the accurate lifespan of the meter's battery (which can be used to determine if it exceeds 5 years). Furthermore, the electricity meter circuit design is simpler, eliminating the need for short-circuiting operations during production, making manufacturing more convenient.

[0042] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A power meter circuit for convenient battery life measurement, comprising a battery BT1, a supercapacitor C1, and a power supply circuit V1, wherein the battery BT1, the supercapacitor C1, and the power supply circuit V1 are connected in parallel, and their output terminals are connected to a main MCU and other electronic circuits, characterized in that... A shorting point CB1 is provided between the output of the battery BT1 and the supercapacitor C1 for convenient battery life measurement; The shorting point CB1 is used to make the supercapacitor C1 form a power supply circuit to the electronic circuit when the battery BT1 is removed and the shorting point is shorted, so as to calculate the average operating current of the energy meter in the power-off state by measuring the voltage drop across the supercapacitor C1 within a set time, and then calculate the life of the battery BT1. The battery BT1 is connected to the electricity meter circuit in a detachable manner.

2. The energy meter circuit for convenient battery life measurement according to claim 1, characterized in that, The output terminal of the supercapacitor C1 is connected to the energy meter via diode D1.

3. The energy meter circuit for convenient battery life measurement according to claim 1, characterized in that, The output terminal of the battery BT1 is connected to the energy meter via diode D3.

4. The energy meter circuit for convenient battery life measurement according to claim 1, characterized in that, The output terminal of the power supply circuit V1 is connected to the energy meter through diode D2.

5. A method for measuring battery life using the energy meter circuit described in claim 1, characterized in that, The battery life measurement method involves shorting the CB1 shorting point while the battery is powered off and removed.

6. The battery life measurement method according to claim 5, characterized in that, When the electricity meter is de-energized, i.e., the power supply circuit V1 is not powered, the current of the electricity meter under the power failure condition is calculated by measuring the voltage drop across the positive and negative terminals of the supercapacitor C1 within a set time using a voltage measuring tool, and then the battery life is calculated based on the current.

7. The battery life measurement method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The formula for calculating battery life is as follows: T = Cbt / (C1 * (U1 - U2) / t) Where Cbt is the battery capacity; C1 is the capacitance of the supercapacitor; U1 and U2 are the voltages across the capacitor at the start and end of the test, respectively. t represents the duration of the experiment; T represents battery life.

8. The battery life measurement method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The voltage measuring tool mentioned is a multimeter.

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