High Density Metering System Spectral Component Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
High Density Metering (HDM) systems face challenges in efficiently monitoring and processing data from multiple branch circuits with varying configurations, limited by data transfer and processing capabilities, leading to increased costs and redundancy in hardware and installation.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a main meter unit that monitors common voltage and multiple current cards sampling currents from branch circuits, determining spectral components, and storing data to calculate power consumption, with only significant spectral components transmitted, reducing processor burden and bandwidth usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If individual meters are used for each branch circuit, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase due to redundancy in meters, wires, memory, processors, and communication ports
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the metering function into modular components: a main meter unit that handles common voltage measurement and spectral analysis, and separate current cards for each branch circuit that handle current sampling and spectral component calculation. This segmentation allows precise monitoring of each branch circuit while avoiding the redundancy of complete meter systems at each circuit.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple branch circuit current measurements are merged into a single main meter unit that processes all current card data. The main meter unit consolidates spectral component calculations, voltage sampling, and data storage functions, eliminating the need for separate complete meter systems at each branch circuit while maintaining individual circuit monitoring precision.
2Adaptability or versatility
If HDMs monitor the same voltage and current inputs, then versatility is improved, but device complexity increases due to variety in data acquisition, transmission, and processing methods
Solution Approach 1:
Each current card is designed with standardized local functionality for sampling current inputs and calculating spectral components, while the main meter unit provides centralized processing for data transmission and storage. This local quality approach maintains versatility across different branch circuit configurations while reducing overall system complexity through standardization.
3Productivity
If HDMs transfer and process data from multiple branch circuits, then productivity is improved, but device complexity and cost increase due to communication system and processor requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts spectral component calculations from the main meter unit and implements them in separate current cards. This extraction reduces the processing burden on the main meter unit's processor and communication system, allowing efficient data handling from multiple branch circuits without proportionally increasing device complexity.
4Measurement precision
If all spectral components are transmitted to the main meter unit, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of information is reduced while bandwidth usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system transmits only the necessary spectral components (those exceeding a threshold magnitude) from current cards to the main meter unit, rather than all possible spectral components. This partial action approach maintains measurement precision for power analysis while reducing bandwidth consumption by excluding insignificant spectral data.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of monitoring the electrical power in multiple branch circuits of an AC electrical power distribution system comprises monitoring at least one voltage common to said multiple branch circuits using a main meter unit, monitoring currents of the multiple branch circuits using multiple current cards that receive a plurality of current inputs from current transducers in the multiple branch circuits, sampling the monitored voltage in the main meter unit and the monitored currents in the current cards multiple times in each cycle of the AC power signal, determining the magnitudes and angles of spectral components of the sampled current in the current cards, sending data representing the magnitudes and angles of at least selected spectral components from the current cards to the main meter unit, and storing the voltage samples and the magnitudes and angles of at least the selected spectral components in the main meter unit.