Smart gas meters offer several advantages over traditional mechanical gas meters. They can record consumption with high accuracy, remotely report usage data, detect tampering, and enable prepayment options. Different technologies like ultrasonic, thermal, and charge flow based meters can enable smart functionality while eliminating issues with mechanical meters like moving parts and accuracy degradation. Communication systems like Zigbee, Bluetooth, and WiFi allow meters to transmit data wirelessly to utilities for automated meter reading and remote control of supply. Smart meters benefit both consumers through improved billing and utilities through lower operational costs and improved revenue collection.

1. Smart Gas Meters:
Technologies & Challenges
Dr. R S Shekhawat,
New Products Development
(Gas Metering)
Secure Meters Ltd.

2. 22
Contents
Mechanical meters and associated problems
What is ‘smart’ device?
Embedding smartness in meters
– The desired functionality of smart meters
– The design attributes enabling smartness
– How different flow metering technologies enable these features?
– The race/compromise of different functionality/features for optimal
product
Communication sub-systems
– ZigBee and associated SEP x.y
– Sub-GHz RF
– Bluetooth
– WiFi (futuristic)
Benefits
– The consumer
– Utility/DistributorSmart Ultrasonic

3. 33
Mechanical meters and associated
problems
India domestic installation base consists of diaphragm
meters
These are predominantly based on mechanical
measurement and are prone to various drawbacks
associated with it namely
 Accuracy degradation over period of time- Mechanical parts
 Manual reading – No smart billing options like prepayment
 No AMR functionality- No i/o’s and modules provisions
 Prone to tampers- tilt , bypass, etc
There are two solutions to approach the above problem
which is practiced worldwide namely
 Retrofit mechanical meter with electronic interface
 Electronic measurement based on emerging technologies
© Secure Meters Ltd

4. 44
Smartness
Oxford dictionary:
(Of a device) programmed so as to be capable of some
independent action.
• Example: Smart Transmitters have capability of:
– Configuration
– Re-ranging/auto-calibration
– Standalone/independent [communication]
– Signal conditioning
– Self-diagnosis
© Secure Meters Ltd

5. 55
Benefits derived out of its’ smartness
Ease of installation and communication,
Self-diagnosis,
improved readability and reliability.
Less subject to effects of temperature and humidity than
analog devices.
although vibration can still affect them, the effects are far
less than with analog devices.
Smart [transmitters] also provide increased accuracy.
And because can replace several different types of
devices, using them allows for inventory reduction.
© Secure Meters Ltd

6. 66
The desired behaviour of a Smart [Gas]
Meter
Record the consumption with best possible accuracy
Report energy consumption at any interval & on
excessive consumption
Elicit behavior of consumption patterns
Correlate consumption rates with appliances in house
Govern consumption by set limits (prepay mode)
Raise alerts/alarms for tampers
Remotely readable and controllable (tariff and supply)
Improved revenue collection with lower overheads
© Secure Meters Ltd

7. 77
Design attributes for smart functionality
Convert consumption in digital values, store & display
(The conversion must be high resolution (few ml))
Have good local amount of memory for local storage
(upto a month)
Flag/log different type of events (e.g. excess usage)
Event-driven communications with minimum delay
Inbuilt self diagnosis
Auto-calibration
Stop/resume flow switch
© Secure Meters Ltd

8. 88
Hybrid Smart Gas Flow Meters
Measurement still using mechanical elements
(diaphragms etc)
Compensation of errors easier (combination of gears
and electronically computed)
Coupling of mechanical index using magnetic or
magneto-optical
Degradation effects still persist: diaphragm material
shrinkage, gear train wear and tear, and thus need
recalibration after 5-7 years
Bigger in size & weight
Usually Noisy
© Secure Meters Ltd

9. 99
Electronic - Ultrasonic
Inherently electronic measurements (transit time or
frequency method)
Natural interface to electronic systems
Wide dynamic range
Easier calibration (in-built)
Small in size and thus much lighter
Longer life (no moving parts)
Differentiation between NG & air
© Secure Meters Ltd

10. 1010
Electronic – Thermal
Very low starting flow (4 LPH)
Noise-less and wear free
Compact design
Differentiation between NG & air
© Secure Meters Ltd

11. 1111
Electronic – Charge flow
Highly accurate
Minimal signal processing
Low power
Small in size
Gamma ray source containment is an issue
Heavy due to shielding of radiation
© Secure Meters Ltd

12. 1212
Communication systems (Home Area
Network)
Wired or wireless
Metering Bus (Mbus)
ZWave
Bluetooth
ZigBee
Wi-Fi
GSM/GPRS
Mesh Radio
© Secure Meters Ltd

13. 1313
Thanks
email: rajveer.shekhawat@securetogether.com,
rajveer1957@hotmail.com
© Secure Meters Ltd