Metering

1
Metering

• If you can not measure then how can you
  control.
• Chris Cunningham B.Eng( Hons ), C.Eng, MCIBSE
• UMIST Energy Manager

2
Objectives

• To obtain accurate half hour data
• Metering to aid VAT recovery
• To be able to handle large amounts of data
• To be able to communicate with any meter remotely
• 1 ) At any time
• 2 ) And if necessary from any location
  from internal / externally
• To provide remote alarm functions
• 1) Low consumption
• 2) High Consumption
• 3) Data retrieval loss
• To be able to communicate with Fiscal meters
• To be able to provide remote communication to
  meter data logger manufacturers for -
• 1) Configuring meters / data loggers
• 2) Fault diagnosis

3
Sources Half Data

• Fiscal Meters
• Water
• Gas
• Electric
• Sub Meters
• Water
• Gas
• Electric
• Heat
• Steam
• Air Flow ( for large compressed air
  systems )
• Fuel Oil

4
Fiscal Meters

• Electric ( Code 5 and Code 3 meters )
• The Code of Practise Meters are password
  protected.
• The meter manufacturers can supply data retrieval
  software.
• Actaris for the Indigo 700 Vat
• PIR for the PIR Meter 1200 Vat
• Seltek for the ABB Vision Meter
  2000 Vat
• The customer is entitled to be able to down load
  consumption data, directly from the meter.
• The customer is entitled for the Meter Operator
  to fit a private meter, at customers cost, in
  series with Code of Practise Metering.
• The Meter Operator can be asked to provide a
  pulsed output from a Code of Practise Meter. (
  Typical Cost 200 Vat )

5
Fiscal Meters

• Water Meters
• The Water Utility will fit a pulsed out put at a
  cost to the customer
• A pulse out will cost between 70 to 100 Vat
• Gas Meter
• Any meter installed after 1991 should be provided
  with a pulsed out put
• To enable a customer to pick up the pulsed
  output, Transco will have to it a Chatter Box to
  the Gas Meter to safely connect pulsed out put.
• The Chatter Box costs 576 Vat

6
Communications ( Code Of Practise Meters )

• Remote Data Collection by Utility Supplier
• Telephone connected modem
• Paknet communication.
• GSM modem
• Remote Data Collection By Customer
• Telephone connected modem
• Paknet communication.
• GSM modem
• Pulsed output from meter for pick up by BMS.
• For remote locations radio technology may be
  require.
• Hard wired RS 232 connection.
• Main borne signaling

7
Communications ( Code Of Practise Meters )

• The Paknet and GSM modem operate using mobile
  phone technology. The commuciation costs can be
  expensive
• The telephone connected modem can be via a
  rented BT line.
• The telephone connected modem can be routed via
  the University telephone exchange and connected
  via a dedicated internal line.
• The customer has direct connection to the
  meter via the internal telephone network. ( No
  Communication Charges )
• The Meter Operator does not have to charge
  the customer for a BT, Paknet or GSM modem rental
  cost ( Lower Meter Operator Charges )

8
Communications ( Gas and Water Meters )

• Gas Meters supplying over 250,000 Therms will be
  remotely monitored by the Utility Company.
• Interruptible Gas supplies are remotely monitored
  by the Utility Company.
• Gas and water meters can be located at
  inaccessible locations requiring
• Radio Technology. ( Requires a battery
  source or Solar technology is also available but
  more costly. )
• Paknet or GSM modem
• Direct telephone connects. ( A BABT approved
  data logger can be powered from the telephone
  line. )

9
Sub Metering ( Electric Meters )

• Code 5 approved meters. ( 280 Vat for the
  Indigo Meter )
• Provide up to 12 channels of data.
• Have two spare inputs to which can be connected
  to water, gas, electric, heat and steam metering.
• Recorded power disruptions
• Recorded Phase losses
• Contain memory modules ( at any extra cost the
  memory chip will hold up to 450 days of data.
  Standard modules hold at least 90 days of data )
• Contain alarm generation functions.
• Instantaneous valves can be remotely accessed
  from meters ( Phase Voltage, Current, Phase
  Angles, Power factor, Frequency )
• Multi meter installations. Up to 225 meters can
  be daisy chained together for the additional cost
  of 25 per meter plus the cable connection costs
  

10
Sub Metering ( Electric Meters )

• Low Cost pulsed output meters for connection to
  BMS.
• ( Cost about 100 to 150 Vat )
• Typical pulsed value 1 pulse 1 Kwh
• Some types my provide Kwh and KVAh pulse values
• More expensive meters provide local indication of
  Phase Voltage, Current, Power factor
• Meter has No fault monitoring
• Higher Cost Meters
• Typical Cost 350 Vat . ( 800 Vat if
  Harmonic Metering Included )
• Usually provide at least Kwh and KVAh plus
  location indication of Phase Voltage, Current,
  Powerfactor, Frequency.
• Can be hard wired using an RS485 connection for
  remote monitoring and indication of meter
  parameters.
• The meter may be provide with fault monitoring.
  CHECK specification before purchasing.

11
Sub Metering Water

• Meter must be pre-equipped with a pulse out put
• The pulse may be generated by -
• A Reed switch.
• Optical Target.
• For the Optical Target there is no hard wired
  connection to the meter. Instead a battery
  powered pick up is used to operate a relay. There
  batteries usually have a 5 year live and typical
  pick up unit costs about 30 pulse Vat.
• The meters have to be sized correctly for the
  flow rate. ( If too large a meter is installed
  then at low flows consumption will not be
  measured. )
• It the water meter is sized correctly, along with
  pulse value then with the knowledge of the
  buildings use, a leaking toilet cistern or failed
  urinal flush control can be quickly identified.

12
Sub Metering Gas

• The gas meter has to be pre-equipped with a
  pulsed output
• To be able to pick up the pulsed output via the
  BMS or a data logger a safety isolation device
  has to be used -
• Galvanic Isolation Device ( 24 V or 240 V
  powered ) ( Cost about 80 Vat
  , plus cost for installation of power supply and
  enclosure )
• Chatter Box , battery Powered. ( Transco
  installed charge 576 Vat )

13
Sub Metering ( Heating and Cooling )

• Heat / Chilled Meter System
• Comprises of flow meter, supply flow and return
  temperature plus Integrator Unit.
• The integrator has a pulsed output and can
  display locally Kwh, meter flow rate and
  cumulative total, and will also display the flow
  and return temperatures.
• The water meter should be placed in the lower
  temperate ( return flow )
• Standard water meters are rated for operation up
  to 90 C. ( ie for use on LTHW system )
• For maximum temperature up to 130 C and pipe
  sizes up to 150 mm a typical installation would
  cost 700 Vat and installation.
• For high temperatures up to 150 C the water are
  more expensive.
• The higher temperature are usually only
  applicable to MTHW system or for heat
  distribution such as for District Heating.

14
Sub Metering ( Heating and Cooling )

• Heat / Chilled Water Metering utilising the BMS
• If a flow meter is installed along with a supply
  and return flow temperature sensor then the BMS
  can be programmed to measure the heat flow.
• The BMS require three input channels
• An BMS out station that is linked to a central
  data terminal is required.

15
Sub Metering Steam

• Accurate Steam Metering is expensive
• Low cost steam meters
• Bypass or Rotary Shunt type
• Vortex Shedding type
• Orifice Plate type
• Pilot Tube type
• Typical Turndown Ratios are between 1 to 5 and 1
  to 10
• Low cost steam metering depends on stable steam
  conditions.
• For accuracy they require laminar flow conditions
  before and after the meter. ( Typically, 20 x
  pipe diameter before and 10 x pipe diameter after
  the meter )
• For improved accuracy density compensation can be
  used along with a steam flow computer to provide
  a pulsed output.
• At low flow rates, during summer season when
  steam is only used for for Domestic Hot Water
  generation, the flow rates are often too low for
  these types of meter to be able to record the
  flow.

16
Sub Metering Steam

• High Accuracy Steam Metering. ( Variable Area
  Meter )
• Typical Turndown ratios from 1 to 50 up to 1 to
  100
• If the steam pressure varies by / - 0.25 bar
  then the steam meter recording error multiply
  proportionally.
• If the steam conditions are not stable then
  density compensation can be provided with using
  either a temperature or pressure transducer
  modifying the steam flow signal with a steam flow
  computer which provides the modified pulsed out
  put value.
• Typical Installed Costs
• Digital Inline Variable Area Meter
• Up to 100 mm diameter meter ( Turn down 1
  to 50 ). The on board computer provides
  instantaneous flow rate and a pulsed out put. (
  4000 installed )
• Gilflo Variable Area Meter
• Consist of Gilflow pipeline measurement
  unit. ( Cost depends on pipe size and flow rate,
  differential pressure transmitter, pressure and
  or temperature transducer and steam flow computer
  to provide pulsed output and have local
  indication of steam flow, cumulative total, steam
  pressure and temperature.
• ( Typical cost for a 200mm meter 7000
  installed. )

17
Data Collection

• Building Management System
• The main function of the BMS is to continuously
  monitor, control and provide feed back of a
  process ( heating / cooling / lighting control
  for a building )
• As the BMS is extended through a large estate the
  data high way can become overloaded requiring
  additional communications loops.
• BMS systems have been known to crash if too
  historical data is requested.
• BMS systems can become damaged during a
  lightening strike.
• Most metering companies recommend that meter data
  is transmitted via a dedicated metering network.
• A locate out station is required to connect in
  the meter pulse.
• The BMS is limited to the quality of data and
  meter alarm handling
• The BMS still requires a separate Monitoring and
  Targeting software package to analyses the meter
  data.

18
Data Collection

• Code 5 Electric Meter.
• High accuracy metering billing purposes.
• Used through out the UK and cross all continents
  for remote monitoring by the electric Utility
  Companies.
• The meters are certified for ten years of
  continuous operation for billing purposes.
• For Vat Reclaim opportunities the Code 5 meters
  offer the high accuracy data
• If communication system was to fail, then a
  meters data could be download locally using the
  meter optical communication port.
• The meter will record and store power outages.
• The meters can be be programmed to provide remote
  alarm functions.
• The meters can be communicated with remotely via,
• Telephone Modem
• Paknet of GSM Modem

19
Data Collection

• Code 5 Electric Meter. ( Continued )
• When used for private metering additional
  communications can via
• Ethernet Network ( With addition equipment
  )
• Hard wiring utilizing the on board RS232
  port
• The meter has four pulsed outputs for
  connection to the BMS
• Up To 225 meter can be daisy linked
  together and connected to a single modem
• The meter can be mounted remote from any
  communications either for temporary or permanent
  measurements The half hour data can be download
  locally using the meter optical communication
  port.
• Memory modules are available to store up to 450
  days of data

20
Techonlogy Data Logger

• Data Logger BABT approved for direct connection
  to telephone system
• No 240 V power cabling required to power data
  logger
• 1 ) Utilog 4 channel data logger with local
  communications port ( 322 Vat Each )
• 2 ) Newlink 8 channel data logger with local
  communications port ( 510 Vat Each )
• Both loggers have battery back up.
• Used extensively by Water Utility Companies.
• The data retrieval software provides consumption
  charts.
• The software contains an Export Manager to enable
  automatic transfer of data.
• The software can be programmed to automatically
  retrieve date from any period between one hour
  and one month, by day of month or time of day.
• The software can be programmed to generate alarms
  for
• Low Consumption
• High Consumption
• Data Download failure
• In the event of an alarm the software
  can be programmed to dial out to
• A telephone land line
• Mobile number
• The data retrieve soft ware costs 400 Vat