Monitoring of the Electrical Network

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The monitoring of the electrical network is a typical industrial IoT solution in which the advantages of the new smart IoT devices are used to detect failures in the power supply. Thanks to the early detection of electrical problems, bigger problems are avoided through rapid and effective action. This happens thanks to the collection of real-time information on fault indicators with smart modems that transmit the information through LTE/4G. This case study is based on an actual project in the Southeast Asia Pacific (APAC) area.

Device: MTX-IoT-S, 4G programmable IoT modem with 8x digital I/Os, 2x ADC and battery

Platform: Cervello IoT Platfotm / Owner IoT Platfotm

In these cases, the maintenance manager needs to know in real time, the status of each of the critical points. To do this, several fault indicators are used. These devices contain an internal relay that opens when the sensor detects ground faults or short circuits. In case of detection, the internal relay opens and sends a digital fault signal. Once the fault has been signaled, an external relay is required to reset the device to return to the initial monitoring point.

This solution needs a device with the greatest number of digital inputs possible (in order to monitor more than one fault indicator), a battery so that the communications equipment continues to function in the event of a power failure, control of the relays to perform the reset of the fault indicator, and an industrial box with DIN rail mounting, to be able to install it easily. Due to this list of requirements, the ideal MTX device for this solution is the MTX-IoT-S modem, which has 8 digital inputs, DIN rail mounting, and the possibility of including an internal battery directly in the modem box. To cover the need of relays control, our development department made some modifications to the hardware and firmware, adapting the standard equipment to match the requirements of the solution perfectly.

The description of the operation of the solution would be: the fault indicator contains an internal relay that is closed. In the event of a network failure, the sensor detects it and opens the internal relay. This change is detected by the MTX-IoT-S modem through one of its digital inputs, which sends a specific frame through MQTTs to the management platform. An automatic trigger activates one of the relays of the MTX-IoT-S that returns the fault tndicator to its initial state, leaving it ready to continue with the monitoring.
Since the sending of frames is done through MQTTs, the MTX-IoT-S is compatible both with an integral solution using the Cervello IoT platform, and with a solution in which the management platform is provided by the company that is in charge of monitoring the power grid.

Thanks to the bidirectional communication, it is possible to act directly on the fault indicators from the platform with the discretionary activation of the MTX-IoT-S relay, allowing the devices to restart. Also, both from Cervello IoT Platform and from the client’s proprietary platform, Device Manager management can be carried out, knowing the status of all deployed devices and being able to perform remote management tasks such as firmware updates or configurations.

Thanks to this intelligent solution for monitoring the electrical network, the energy supply maintenance concession companies can have real-time information on the status of the grid, detecting faults and breakdowns at the very moment they happen, significantly improving the overall state of the network and carrying out a more efficient maintenance.

Submetering of Electric Meters IEC870-5-102

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We are in a context of great opportunity for energy advisers. With a vast market for company digital electricity meters deployed throughout the country and with a picture of growing energy costs, it is necessary to make intelligent use of this infrastructure to optimize consumption and make a rational use of electricity . Now it is possible to offer energy saving solutions thanks to the IEC870-5-102 protocol of the smart electricity meters deployed in Spain, together with the possibility of sending submetering information via LTE / 4G almost immediately to the energy advisers.

Device: MTX-IoT-S,MTX-IoT-XS,MTX-IoT,MTX-T,MTX-T2, 4G IoT modems with MTX-Tunnel IEC870 software

IoT platform: Cervello IoT Platform

When we are faced with a scenario in which we want to carry out an energy efficiency project based on submetering, the most recommended option is to take advantage of the installation’s own recording meter, an infrastructure already deployed and that is useful for our project as long as we are capable to read and understand the protocol they use, the IEC870-5-102.

In Spain, there is currently a meter park of several million units from which much more could be obtained than it is currently available. The meters are classified, according to the regulation of measurement points (RD 1110/2007), in five different types depending on the power contracted in the installation. The meters for installations with greater than 15kW contracted power have the same communications protocol: IEC 870-5-102.

These meters, already installed, supply rates of three and six periods, and constitute a great source of information since they allow obtaining electrical information retroactively. They store up to six months of the load curve (average active power value), the reactive energy of the four quadrants and the last twelve billing closings (distribution of consumption and dates of maximeters in the different pricing periods).

The needs, therefore, of the energy efficiency consulting company go through being able to monitor several of these indicators in real time (readings every 15 minutes) of the Active Absolute Energy (VabA), Inductive Reactive Absolute Energy (VabRi) data, Capacitive reactive absolute energy (VabRc) of an IEC 870-5-102 meter. In addition, in case of poor coverage, the connectivity equipment needs to store the recorded readings and send them the moment coverage returns.

For this purpose, the connectivity device that MTX proposes is the MTX-T modem (or any módem with firmware MTX-Tunnel), a basic modem at a competitive price with an RS232 interface (to connect to the meter) and 4G/LTE connectivity. Thanks to the firmware of this modem, the MTX-Tunnel, the device can be configured to take the readings of the required values, store them in the internal memory and transmit them immediately or, in case of bad coverage, at the moment in which the connectivity.

The modem configuration, having the IEC 870-5-102 protocol included in its firmware, passes only by indicating the identifier, the network address, the measured point address and the password of the meter, in addition to other generic configurations such as operation datalogger, port information or connectivity. All this configuration is done through a simple and convenient TXT file that is loaded directly into the modem.

Once the meter readings have been read and stored, the MTX-T sends the data to the final platform of the energy efficiency advisor, which will analyze the data from the submetering carried out to offer all the detailed information to the end customer.

In addition, thanks to Cervello Stem, it is possible to manage all the devices in the IoT network in a fast, comfortable and intuitive way. From this IoT device management platform you can monitor the status and connectivity of the modems, in addition to being able to configure alarms, execute configuration commands or perform remote firmware updates.