Master-Slave Power Meter Multi-Phase Monitoring
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current power meters lack advanced features for comprehensive power monitoring and communication, limiting their ability to efficiently manage and bill power consumption across multiple phases and loads, and do not easily adapt to different external devices or protocols.
Innovation Solution
The power meter system includes a controller that determines power monitor parameters based on current and voltage measurements across multiple phases, with both wired and wireless communication ports for external device interaction and communication with other power meters, allowing for configuration and calibration through mobile devices and current transformers, and enabling operation as either a master or slave meter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If power meters are used to monitor power systems and measure power consumption, then power monitoring capability is improved, but communication and integration capabilities with external devices and other power meters remain limited
Solution Approach 1:
The power meter is designed with multiple communication ports including wired communication port and wireless communication port, enabling it to perform multiple communication functions simultaneously. This allows the power meter to adapt to different external devices and protocols, resolving the limitation of poor communication and integration capabilities while maintaining comprehensive power monitoring functionality.
2Measurement precision
If power meters monitor multiple phases and calculate power monitor parameters, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller is designed to receive measures of power consumption for each phase separately through multiple terminals, process each phase independently, and then combine the results to determine power monitor parameters. This segmentation approach allows precise measurement of multiple phases while keeping the controller's processing logic manageable and organized.
3Adaptability or versatility
If power meters include multiple communication ports for external devices and other power meters, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The power meter integrates both wired communication port and wireless communication port into a single device, enabling it to communicate with different types of external devices and other power meters through multiple protocols. This multi-functional communication design improves adaptability without requiring separate devices for different communication needs.
Data Source
AI summary
A power meter includes a plurality of terminals for receiving a measure of power consumption for each of one or more phases of power that is delivered to a load as well as a controller that is operatively coupled to the plurality of terminals and is configured to determine a number of power monitor parameters based on the measure of power consumption for each of one or more phases of power. A user interface is operably coupled to the controller and is configured to display at least some of the number of power monitor parameters determined by the controller. A first communication port is operably coupled to the controller and is configured to communicate with an external device and a second communication port is operably coupled to the controller and is configured to communicate with one or more other power meters.