Electric Meter Power Threshold Activation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electricity meters face inaccuracies in active and reactive energy metering due to noise inherent in the measurement of low currents, leading to untimely activations and deactivations, which affects the precision of energy consumption measurements.
Innovation Solution
The method involves performing active and reactive power measurements and selectively activating/deactivating metering operations based on power thresholds rather than current thresholds, with these thresholds being dynamically determined based on the rms supply voltage, allowing for improved precision and adaptability to voltage supply conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If current thresholds are used to trigger active and reactive energy metering operations, then the metering operations can be activated, but the measurement accuracy deteriorates due to noise in current measurements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the triggering parameter from current threshold to power threshold. Power is calculated as the product of voltage and current (P=UI), which amplifies the signal and makes it less susceptible to noise. The power threshold is determined based on the rms supply voltage, creating a dynamic threshold that adapts to voltage conditions. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by maintaining reliable metering operation activation while significantly improving measurement accuracy.
2Ease of operation
If current thresholds are used for metering operations, then the operations can be triggered, but the precision deteriorates particularly at low currents
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the triggering mechanism from direct current threshold comparison to power threshold comparison. Power measurement inherently provides signal amplification through the voltage multiplication effect, making low current conditions much more detectable and accurate. The power threshold is dynamically determined based on rms voltage measurements, ensuring the triggering mechanism remains sensitive and accurate across all current levels, particularly improving performance at low currents.
3Ease of manufacture
If fixed current thresholds are used, then the implementation is simple, but the system becomes sensitive to voltage variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic power thresholds that automatically adapt to voltage conditions. The power threshold is calculated based on the measured rms supply voltage, creating a threshold that scales with voltage variations. This dynamic approach maintains simple implementation (the threshold is automatically adjusted based on voltage measurement) while providing excellent adaptability to different voltage conditions, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and adaptability.
Data Source
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AI summary
In the context of managing active energy metering operations and reactive energy metering operations, where active energy and reactive energy are consumed by an electrical installation supervised by an electric meter, the electric meter: performs (604) measurements of active power and reactive power consumed by said electrical installation; selectively activates (606) and deactivates (607) active energy metering operations, based at least on a comparison between the active power measurement and a first predetermined power threshold; and selectively activates (609) and deactivates (610) reactive energy metering operations, based at least on a comparison between the reactive power measurement and a second predetermined power threshold.