Tuesday, April 23, 2013

AMR Technologies for Basic Radio Frequency based Solution


AMR Technologies for Basic Radio Frequency based Solution

What is AMR technology? Automatic Meter Reading is automatically collecting consumption, diagnostic, and status data from water meter devices and transferring that  data to a central database for billing, troubleshooting, and analyzing.

AMR technologies include  Touch base AMR, Radio frequency (RF) based AMR having Walk-by, Drive by and Fixed network system. There are different AMR systems as well which utilise GSM & GPRS based data transfer technologies.

Touch based AMR requires Meter reader carries a data collection device with a wand or probe. The device automatically collects the readings from a meter by touching or placing the read probe in close proximity to a reading coil enclosed in the touchpad.

Radio Frequency (RF) based AMR is the basic walk-by AMR system. This technology is commonly used in handheld devices system, mobility systems and fixed network systems. These systems can be use in two manners. These RF systems are two-way communication based and one-way communication based systems.
                               RF based meter reading usually eliminates the need for the meter reader to enter the property or home, or to locate and open an underground meter pit.
                        In handheld AMR, a meter reader carries a handheld computer with a built-in or attached receiver/transceiver (radio frequency) to collect meter readings from an AMR meter. This is referred to as "walk-by“ meter reading.

  • Mobile or "drive-by" meter reading   
    Reading device is installed in a vehicle. The meter reader drives the vehicle while the reading device automatically collects the meter readings.

                                                             This is a method where a network is permanently installed to capture meter readings. This method can consist of a series of antennas, towers, collectors, repeaters, or other permanently installed infrastructure to collect transmissions of meter readings from AMR meters and get the data to a central computer without a person in the field to collect it.
                                                             The GSM based meters use ‘SIM CARD’ to transmit the readings to a mobile or a central unit, by sending SMS.


BENEFITS of AMR TECHNOLOGIES

  • Accurate meter reading, no estimates.
  • Increased efficiencies, outage detection, tamper notification and reduced labor cost as a result of automating reads.
  • Improved & flexible billing cycles.
  • Accurate Profile Classes and Measurement Classes. Thus, true costs applied.
  • Water Management through profile data graphs.
  • Less financial burden correcting mistakes.
  • Less accrued expenditure.
  • Transparency of “cost to read” metering
  • Meters are tamperproof & with anti-magnetic properties.
  • Meters shall be fitted with wireless remote trans-receivers for AMR reading
  • The dial reading of the water meter and recorded remote reading, is always match exactly
  • Meters and trans-receivers  have IP68 protection Class & are  tested for submergence for 48 hours in 3 meter water column
  • AMR readings show the date and time of the reading recorded
  • Remote readings of all meters shall be obtained with single command, in a range
  • The AMR meters shall have data storage & retrieval facility, various alarms & reverse flow indication

You can check my latest blog on http://techconsultantamr.blogspot.in/



To get more details, you can contact me on techconsultantanurag@gmail.com 
Regard,
Anurag Sharma

Friday, April 19, 2013

Advance technologies for Water Meters


GSM/GPRS solution Features :-  

Realizing the challenges that water providers are facing when managing their large consumers:
Revenue Protection
  •  Real-time alerts
    • Don’t wait until the next customer visit to discover major issues resulting in escalating revenue loss such as meter blockage or abnormal consumption
    • GSM/GPRS solution offers 24/7 monitoring of large consumers with SMS alerts directly sent on the cell phone of the person in charge 
  • Meter optimization
    •  Water meters must be properly selected and sized to record the full amount of consumed water, and remain so for the remainder of their years of service
    • GSM/GPRS solution offers dynamic analysis of the actual water usage profile with the water meter performance curve.
    •       It provides graphical interpretation of watermeter efficiency, as well as clear alarms if the meter type and size are no longer appropriate
      • over-sized meter
      • under-sized meter
      • meter flow range capability not wide enough, etc…

Customer satisfaction
  • Detailed consumption information
    • Large industrial and commercial customers demand more frequent and deeper information about the way they use water
    • With GSM/GPRS solution, water providers can offer their clients
      • immediate notification in case of leakages.
      • granulated consumption information that can be communicated on invoices or using web portals
      • consumption consolidation for several meters belonging to a single account
      • consumption benchmark with a reference profile based on historical values or on other clients of the same category or of the same area

  • High-security locations
    • Sensitive Industrial or Commercial customers, such as chemical plants, food industries, airports, military sites, etc…, are reluctant to grant frequent access to their premises.
    •  GSM/GPRS solution offers remote access to the meter information from the utility office at any time and as often as needed


Operations efficiency 
  • Water network efficiency
    • With GSM/GPRS solution,  water providers can collate hourly or daily water volumes collected from all main network meters and consumption meters, and calculate network efficiency indicators precisely for each district metered area.
  • Energy savings
    • Incentives given to large consumers that accept to shift their water consumption out of peak hours can reduce energy expenditures.
    •  With the hourly meter reads provided by GSM/GPRS solution  the billing system can create tariff structures based on actual Time-Of-Use 
  • Peak shaving
    • High peak flows during short periods of time generate temporary network pressure drops and lead to an over-sized infrastructure the rest of the time

With GSM/GPRS solution, water providers can detect and measure the exact volume consumption above or below flow-rate thresholds contractually defined with their large consumer.

You can check my latest blog on http://techconsultantamr.blogspot.in/



To get more details, you can contact me on techconsultantanurag@gmail.com 
Regard,
Anurag Sharma