Device for expanding frozen data storage capacity of meter

Abstract

The utility model provides a device for expanding frozen data storage capacity of a meter. The device comprises a plurality of electric energy meters, a communication management machine and a power supply, the plurality of electric energy meters are cascaded with the communication manager through twisted-pair communication lines; the communication management machine is provided with a storage expansion module, a first signal input interface, a first signal output interface and an electric energy management module; the electric energy management module comprises a power supply chip and a power supply filter; the power supply chip is connected with a power supply through a power supply filter; each electric energy meter is provided with a memory, a second signal input interface and a second signal output interface; the electric energy meter can transmit electric energy data acquired by the electric energy meter to the communication management machine through the twisted-pair communication line. The device is suitable for storing key data under the conditions that faults occur in a long time period and no professional timely deals with the faults, so that completeness and continuity of the collected data are ensured, and a basic basis is provided for follow-up operations such as electric quantity statistics, data analysis, troubleshooting, electricity price adjustment and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a device for expanding the frozen data storage capacity of electricity meters, belonging to the technical field of power metering equipment. Specifically, for user data collection in power systems, a combined device has been developed. This device expands the frozen data storage capacity of electricity meters, allowing for the preservation of critical data in situations where faults occur over extended periods and timely intervention by professionals is unavailable. This ensures the integrity and continuity of the collected data, providing a foundation for subsequent operations such as electricity consumption statistics, data analysis, fault diagnosis, and electricity price adjustments. Background Technology

[0002] Electricity meters are one of the basic devices for power grid data acquisition, undertaking the tasks of collecting, measuring, and transmitting electricity data. They are the foundation for information integration, analysis, optimization, and presentation. The load of a power system involves various types of users across a vast area. Each user's electricity consumption is different, and it is impossible to know in advance when, where, or what type of load will be added. Therefore, load changes in the power system are random. To facilitate and promptly understand load change trends, load curve data recorded at different time points are generally collected from electricity meters to generate load curves that record load changes over time. Based on this, the regularity of load changes can be studied for applications such as user electricity bill calculation, power quality monitoring in distribution areas, multi-level line loss analysis, and assessment of power line aging trends.

[0003] In practice, the choice of collecting load curves from the electricity meters in a distribution area is based on factors such as the area's capacity, business needs, and data acquisition channels. The 1-hour, 15-minute, or 1-minute load curves are selected, with the 15-minute curves being collected in most cases. Theoretically, when collecting electricity meter curve data, frozen data from all meters at the same moment should be collected to ensure temporal consistency. However, because electricity meters in a distribution area are replaced periodically, the meters installed under a typical low-voltage distribution area may come from different batches, manufacturers, and use various protocols. In particular, meters using the DLT645-2007 protocol do not support frozen curve data collection intervals that are not integer multiples of 15 minutes. For curve data collection intervals of 15 minutes, the situation regarding frozen curve data is complex due to differences in manufacturers, protocol revisions, and generation batches.

[0004] In existing technologies, smart meters are often designed with limited internal storage space. If the required data precision is as high as one data point per minute, most smart meters on the market can only store 1000-2000 frozen data points, which is insufficient to meet the storage needs of long-term, large-scale frozen data. This leads to problems such as insufficient storage space, data loss, or incomplete recording in practical applications, causing inconvenience to users and management departments. In situations where no one is on duty on weekends or holidays, and real-time data acquisition and transmission malfunctions, it becomes even more difficult to recover the original data from the frozen data of the electricity meter. Utility Model Content

[0005] An embodiment of this utility model provides a device for expanding the storage capacity of frozen meter data. This device can effectively increase the storage capacity of frozen meter data and ensure the integrity and reliability of the data.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution.

[0007] An apparatus for expanding the frozen data storage capacity of meters includes multiple energy meters, a communication management unit, and a power supply; the multiple energy meters are cascaded with the communication management unit via twisted-pair communication lines; the communication management unit has a storage expansion module, a first signal input interface, a first signal output interface, and an energy management module;

[0008] The power management module includes a power chip and a power filter; the power chip is connected to the power source through the power filter.

[0009] Each energy meter has a memory, a second signal input interface, and a second signal output interface;

[0010] The electricity meter can transmit the electricity data it acquires to the communication management unit via a twisted-pair communication line.

[0011] Preferably, the communication management unit also has an uplink network interface for connecting to an external platform system via a twisted-pair communication cable.

[0012] Preferably, the communication management unit further includes a microcontroller and a communication interface module; the communication interface module is connected to the first signal input interface and the first signal output interface circuit.

[0013] Preferably, the storage expansion module of the communication management unit includes a storage chip and a storage controller; the storage chip is connected to the microcontroller through the storage controller; the storage chip is a non-volatile memory.

[0014] Preferably, the communication interface module has a communication chip, and the communication chip circuit is connected to the first signal input interface and the first signal output interface.

[0015] Secondly, this utility model provides a device for expanding the frozen data storage capacity of meters, comprising multiple energy meters, a communication management unit, and a power supply; the multiple energy meters are cascaded with the communication management unit via a CAN bus; the communication management unit has a storage expansion module, a first signal input interface, a first signal output interface, and an energy management module;

[0016] The power management module includes a power chip and a power filter; the power chip is connected to the power source through the power filter.

[0017] Each energy meter has a memory, a second signal input interface, and a second signal output interface;

[0018] The electricity meter can transmit the electricity data it acquires to the communication management unit via the CAN bus.

[0019] Preferably, the communication management unit also has an uplink network interface for connecting to an external platform system via a CAN bus.

[0020] Preferably, the communication management unit further includes a microcontroller and a communication interface module; the communication interface module is connected to the first signal input interface and the first signal output interface circuit.

[0021] Preferably, the storage expansion module of the communication management unit includes a storage chip and a storage controller; the storage chip is connected to the microcontroller through the storage controller; the storage chip is a non-volatile memory.

[0022] Preferably, the communication interface module has a communication chip, and the communication chip circuit is connected to the first signal input interface and the first signal output interface.

[0023] As can be seen from the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this utility model above, this utility model provides a device for expanding the frozen data storage capacity of meters, including multiple energy meters, a communication management unit, and a power supply; the multiple energy meters are cascaded with the communication management unit via twisted-pair communication lines; the communication management unit has a storage expansion module, a first signal input interface, a first signal output interface, and an energy management module; the energy management module includes a power chip and a power filter; the power chip is connected to the power supply via the power filter; each energy meter has a memory, a second signal input interface, and a second signal output interface; the energy meters can transmit their acquired energy data to the communication management unit via the twisted-pair communication lines. The device provided by this utility model has the following advantages:

[0024] 1. It effectively expands the storage capacity of frozen meter data, meeting the storage needs of long-term and large-scale data, and avoiding the problems of data loss or incomplete recording.

[0025] 2. It adopts a modular design, has a simple structure, is easy to install and maintain, and can be easily integrated with existing meters.

[0026] 3. The communication management unit has a large storage capacity and can simultaneously connect to the frozen data of multiple electricity meters. When allocating capacity space, it can allocate more space to electricity meters with greater storage needs.

[0027] 4. It has excellent power management and communication functions, ensuring the stability and reliability of the device.

[0028] Additional aspects and advantages of this invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and will become apparent from the description or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0029] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0030] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a first embodiment of a device for expanding the frozen data storage capacity of a meter provided by this utility model;

[0031] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the communication management unit of a device for expanding the frozen data storage capacity of meters provided by this utility model;

[0032] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the alignment of the frozen data of an energy meter with the time stamp of the data stored in the communication management unit, for the purpose of providing a device to expand the frozen data storage capacity of an energy meter according to this utility model;

[0033] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the storage space of a communication management unit shared by multiple energy meters for a device that expands the frozen data storage capacity of meters, as provided by this utility model;

[0034] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a second embodiment of a device for expanding the frozen data storage capacity of a meter provided by this utility model.

[0035] In the picture:

[0036] 101. Communication Management Unit; 1012. Storage Expansion Module; 1013. Communication Interface Module; 1014. Power Management Module;

[0037] 102. Electricity meter. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this utility model, and should not be construed as limiting this utility model.

[0039] Those skilled in the art will understand that, unless specifically stated otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” “the,” and “the” used herein may also include the plural forms. It should be further understood that the term “comprising” as used in this specification means the presence of features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. It should be understood that when we say an element is “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or there may be intermediate elements. Furthermore, “connected” or “coupled” as used herein can include wireless connections or couplings. The term “and / or” as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0040] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. It should also be understood that terms such as those defined in general dictionaries should be understood to have the same meaning as in the context of the prior art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless defined as herein.

[0041] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this utility model, the following will provide further explanation and description with reference to the accompanying drawings and several specific embodiments. These embodiments do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of this utility model.

[0042] Example 1

[0043] This utility model provides a device for expanding the frozen data storage capacity of meters, such as... Figure 1 and 2 As shown, it includes multiple energy meters 102, a communication management unit 101, and a power supply (not shown in the figure); the multiple energy meters 102 are cascaded with the communication management unit 101 via twisted-pair communication lines; the communication management unit 101 has a storage expansion module 1011, a first signal input interface, a first signal output interface (not shown in the figure), and an energy management module 1013.

[0044] The communication management unit 101 is an embedded hardware computer platform that acts as a bridge between the acquisition terminal and the platform system in the information acquisition system. It can collect and summarize data from equipment terminals such as water meters, gas meters, electricity meters 102, and microcomputer protection devices according to different acquisition protocols, and forward the data from the field equipment to the platform system using the corresponding specifications.

[0045] The power management module 1013 includes a power chip and a power filter; the power chip is connected to the power supply through the power filter.

[0046] Each energy meter 102 has a memory, a second signal input interface, and a second signal output interface (not shown in the figure).

[0047] The power supply is used to supply power to the communication management unit 101, which can use mains power. The power supply for the electricity meter 102 is a power supply device connected to the terminal's local power supply.

[0048] The electricity meter 102 can freeze the acquired electricity data and can also transmit the acquired and frozen electricity data to the communication management unit 101 through a twisted pair communication line.

[0049] The communication management unit 101 with the above functions can use the commercially available Acrel ANet-1E1S1 / 1E2S1 to send a command to the electricity meter 102 to collect the daily frozen data of the electricity meter 102; read the last daily frozen time of the electricity meter 102; determine whether the last daily frozen time of the electricity meter 102 is consistent with the current time recorded by the communication management unit; if they are consistent, read the daily frozen data of the electricity meter 102. The circuit connection diagram of the communication management unit is as follows. Figure 1 As shown.

[0050] The device provided by this utility model first stores the electricity data locally in the electricity meter 102. After the locally stored electricity data exceeds a certain period of time (generally set to be stored for 1 day), the excess electricity data is sent to the communication management unit 101, which effectively expands the storage capacity of the meter's frozen data.

[0051] In some preferred methods, such as Figure 2 As shown, the communication management unit 101 includes a storage expansion module 1011, a power management module, a communication interface module 1012, and a microcontroller. The storage expansion module 1011 is used to expand the storage capacity of frozen meter data; the power management module is used to provide a stable power supply for the communication management unit 101; and the communication interface module 1012 is used to realize data transmission between the communication management unit 101 and the meter. The microcontroller is the core controller of the communication management unit 101, used to control the operation of the other three modules.

[0052] The storage expansion module 1011 includes a storage chip and a storage controller (not shown in the figure). The storage chip is connected to the microcontroller through the storage controller. The storage chip can be a high-capacity non-volatile memory, such as EEPROM or Flash, to meet the storage requirements of a large amount of frozen data, and can allocate storage space according to the number and priority of the electricity meters.

[0053] The power management module 1013 includes a power chip and a power filter. The power chip is connected to the power supply through the power filter to provide the required power voltage to the device. Simultaneously, the power management module 1013 also features overvoltage protection, overcurrent protection, and short-circuit protection to ensure the safe and stable operation of the device.

[0054] The communication interface module 1012 includes a communication chip, a first signal input interface, and a first signal output interface (interface circuit). The communication chip is connected to the meter's communication interface through the interface circuit. The communication interface module 1012 supports multiple communication protocols, such as MQTT, RS485, and M-Bus, to meet the communication needs of different types of meters.

[0055] The communication management unit 101 may also be equipped with an uplink network interface for connecting to an external platform system (server) via a twisted-pair communication cable.

[0056] The communication management unit 101 can be connected to multiple electricity meters 102 at the same time and supports electricity meters 102 of various types and specifications.

[0057] The energy meter 102, equipped with the above functions, is preferably a wireless metering instrument mainly used for measuring three-phase active energy in low-voltage networks. For example, the commercially available Acrel AWD300W features RS485 communication, MQTT communication protocol, 470MHz wireless communication, and 4G wireless communication, facilitating power consumption monitoring, centralized data collection, and management. It consists of a meter face, meter box, motor, electromagnet, and other components. It has a data freezing function, which allows the energy meter 102 to automatically save various energy data to its storage chip at set times. Historical operating data that can be monitored includes device number, voltage, current, active power, reactive power, phase apparent power, power factor, frequency, signal strength, total active energy reading, total reactive energy reading, current active demand, PT value, and CT value. The time for freezing data on the reading day can be appropriately set, for example, reading data from five additional time points for data alignment.

[0058] Connection method between communication management unit 101 and electricity meter 102:

[0059] (1) Wiring sequence: When wiring, first connect the ground wire of the energy meter 102, and then connect the ground wire of the communication management unit 101. When wiring, pay attention to the wiring sequence: first connect the ground wire of the energy meter 102, and then connect the A and B lines of the communication management unit 101.

[0060] (2) The interface between the communication management unit 101 and the electricity meter 102 has two wiring methods: serial and parallel. The serial wiring method is suitable for smaller power systems, while the parallel wiring method is suitable for larger power systems. When wiring, select the wiring method suitable for your power system and follow the standard wiring method.

[0061] (3) Wiring distance: The wiring distance between the communication management unit 101 and the electricity meter 102 should be controlled within the specified range to ensure the quality of data transmission. When wiring, follow the regulations of the power system and wire according to the specified distance.

[0062] (4) Interface settings: When setting up the interface, follow the power system regulations and perform relevant tests and debugging.

[0063] (5) Wiring quality: The wiring quality of the communication management unit 101 and the electricity meter 102 directly affects the quality and stability of data transmission. When wiring, use reliable wiring equipment and conduct relevant tests and inspections.

[0064] (6) Interface Protection: The interface between the communication management unit 101 and the electricity meter 102 needs to be protected to prevent damage to the interface due to external interference or power system failure, which would affect the quality and stability of data transmission. When implementing interface protection, the settings should be made in accordance with the power system regulations, and relevant tests and debugging should be carried out.

[0065] The "freeze" function in the electricity meter 102 refers to a function where the smart meter automatically saves electricity consumption data to the meter's storage chip under specific conditions. Several situations may trigger the freeze function in a smart meter:

[0066] (1) Timed Freeze: Automatically freezes and saves electrical energy data according to the time points and time intervals set by the user. Each frozen data is usually saved at least 12 times or more, and the specific number may vary depending on the meter model and settings.

[0067] (2) Daily freeze: The energy data of the electricity meter 102 is automatically frozen at midnight every day.

[0068] (3) Instantaneous Freeze: In abnormal situations (such as sudden faults or abnormal events), the current calendar, time, all electrical energy, and important measurement data are immediately frozen. Instantaneous freezes typically save the last 3 to 5 data points to ensure that the power system state at the time of the fault or abnormality can be recorded.

[0069] (4) Agreed-upon freeze: When switching between old and new tariff rates / time periods, tiered pricing, or when the power company deems it necessary, the electricity consumption and other important data at the time of the switch are frozen. This type of freeze typically saves the data from the last two freezes to ensure the accuracy and consistency of the data during the transition between old and new tariff rates.

[0070] (5) Hourly Freeze: Automatically freezes data at the hour or half-hour mark, providing detailed information on power load changes, which helps in power load forecasting and scheduling. Suitable for scenarios that require precise control of hourly or half-hourly power load.

[0071] Based on the above preferred embodiment, the preferred working principle of this device is as follows: the communication management unit periodically sends a command to the electricity meter 102 to collect the daily frozen data of the electricity meter 102; it reads the last frozen time of the electricity meter 102; it determines whether the last daily frozen time of the electricity meter 102 is consistent with the current time recorded by the communication management unit; if they are consistent, it reads the current frozen data of the electricity meter 102, and records data at 5 additional time points during the reading for data time stamp alignment, such as... Figure 3 As shown. The communication management unit 101 can simultaneously record frozen data from multiple energy meters 102. When simultaneously reading and recording frozen data from multiple energy meters 102, the communication management unit 101 will automatically allocate storage space, allocating more storage space to energy meters 102 with higher recording frequencies, thus achieving shared and interconnected storage capacity. Figure 4 As shown. This utility model effectively expands the storage capacity of the electricity meter 102, enabling it to store minute-level data (1440 data entries per day) for up to 14 days.

[0072] Example 2

[0073] This utility model provides a device for expanding the frozen data storage capacity of meters, including multiple energy meters 102, a communication management unit 101 and a power supply; the multiple energy meters 102 are cascaded with the communication management unit 101 via a CAN bus; the communication management unit 101 has a storage expansion module 1011, a first signal input interface, a first signal output interface and an energy management module 1013;

[0074] The power management module 1013 includes a power chip and a power filter; the power chip is connected to the power supply through the power filter.

[0075] Each energy meter 102 has a memory, a second signal input interface, and a second signal output interface;

[0076] The electricity meter 102 can transmit the electricity data it acquires to the communication management unit 101 via the CAN bus.

[0077] In some preferred embodiments, the communication management unit 101 includes a storage expansion module 1011, a power management module, a communication interface module 1012, and a microcontroller. The storage expansion module 1011 is used to expand the storage capacity of frozen meter data; the power management module is used to provide a stable power supply for the communication management unit 101; and the communication interface module 1012 is used to realize data transmission between the communication management unit 101 and the meter. The microcontroller is the core controller of the communication management unit 101, used to control the operation of the other three modules.

[0078] The storage expansion module 1011 includes a storage chip and a storage controller. The storage chip is connected to the microcontroller through the storage controller. The storage chip can be a high-capacity non-volatile memory, such as EEPROM or Flash, to meet the storage requirements of large amounts of frozen data.

[0079] The power management module 1013 includes a power chip and a power filter. The power chip is connected to the power supply through the power filter to provide the required power voltage to the device. Simultaneously, the power management module 1013 also features overvoltage protection, overcurrent protection, and short-circuit protection to ensure the safe and stable operation of the device.

[0080] The communication interface module 1012 includes a communication chip, a first signal input interface, and a first signal output interface (interface circuit). The communication chip is connected to the meter's communication interface through the interface circuit. The communication interface module 1012 supports multiple communication protocols, such as MQTT, RS485, and M-Bus, to meet the communication needs of different types of meters.

[0081] The communication management unit 101 can be connected to multiple electricity meters 102 at the same time and supports electricity meters 102 of various types and specifications.

[0082] The wiring method and working principle of this embodiment are the same as those of Embodiment 1, and will not be repeated here.

[0083] In summary, this utility model provides a device for expanding the data storage capacity of frozen meters, comprising multiple energy meters, a communication management unit, and a power supply. The multiple energy meters are cascaded with the communication management unit via twisted-pair communication lines. The communication management unit has a storage expansion module, a first signal input interface, a first signal output interface, and an energy management module. The energy management module includes a power chip and a power filter. The power chip is connected to the power supply via the power filter. Each energy meter has a memory, a second signal input interface, and a second signal output interface. The energy meters can transmit their acquired energy data to the communication management unit via the twisted-pair communication lines. This utility model is suitable for situations where a fault occurs over a relatively long period and no professional personnel can handle it promptly. It preserves critical data to ensure the integrity and continuity of the collected data, providing a basis for subsequent operations such as energy consumption statistics, data analysis, fault diagnosis, and electricity price adjustments.

[0084] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to mutually. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments. In particular, for apparatus or system embodiments, since they are basically similar to method embodiments, the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions in the method embodiments. The apparatus and system embodiments described above are merely illustrative. Units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. Components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can understand and implement this without creative effort.

[0085] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this utility model, but the scope of protection of this utility model is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this utility model should be included within the scope of protection of this utility model. Therefore, the scope of protection of this utility model should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A device for expanding the frozen data storage capacity of meters, characterized in that, It includes multiple energy meters, a communication management unit, and a power supply; the multiple energy meters are cascaded with the communication management unit via twisted-pair communication lines; the communication management unit has a storage expansion module, a first signal input interface, a first signal output interface, and an energy management module; The power management module includes a power chip and a power filter; the power chip is connected to the power source through the power filter. Each of the energy meters has a memory, a second signal input interface, and a second signal output interface; The electricity meter can transmit the electricity data it acquires to the communication management unit via a twisted-pair communication line.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The communication management unit also has an uplink network interface for connecting to an external platform system via a twisted-pair communication cable.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The communication management unit also includes a microcontroller and a communication interface module; the communication interface module is connected to the first signal input interface and the first signal output interface circuit.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that: The storage expansion module of the communication management unit includes a storage chip and a storage controller; the storage chip is connected to the microcontroller through the storage controller; the storage chip is a non-volatile memory.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that: The communication interface module has a communication chip, and the communication chip circuit is connected to the first signal input interface and the first signal output interface.

6. A device for expanding the frozen data storage capacity of a meter, characterized in that, It includes multiple energy meters, a communication management unit, and a power supply; the multiple energy meters are cascaded with the communication management unit via a CAN bus; the communication management unit has a storage expansion module, a first signal input interface, a first signal output interface, and an energy management module; The power management module includes a power chip and a power filter; the power chip is connected to the power source through the power filter. Each of the energy meters has a memory, a second signal input interface, and a second signal output interface; The energy meter can transmit the energy data it acquires to the communication management unit via the CAN bus.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that: The communication management unit also has an uplink network interface for connecting to an external platform system via a CAN bus.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that: The communication management unit also includes a microcontroller and a communication interface module; the communication interface module is connected to the first signal input interface and the first signal output interface circuit.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that: The storage expansion module of the communication management unit includes a storage chip and a storage controller; the storage chip is connected to the microcontroller through the storage controller; the storage chip is a non-volatile memory.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that: The communication interface module has a communication chip, and the communication chip circuit is connected to the first signal input interface and the first signal output interface.

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