Systems, methods, and apparatus for components in AMI energy meters

• US 8,331,082 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2010
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aclara Meters LLC (Hubbell, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Nehete, Chandrashekhar Sadashiv, Nemade, Sandeep Yograj
• Primary Examiner(s): CHERVINSKY, BORIS LEO
• Application Number:
  US12/893,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20120075777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 361/659
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 11/04 Housings; Supporting racks; Arrangements of terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

Certain embodiments of the invention may include systems, methods, and apparatus for providing components in advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) energy meters. According to an example embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for accessing electrical meter components, the method includes providing an energy meter enclosure having one or more service accessible compartments operable for housing AMI components, manipulating one or more compartment covers associated with the one or more service accessible compartments, installing one or more AMI components in the one or more service accessible compartments, and closing the one or more compartment covers. The energy meter enclosure protects the AMI components from at least one external element.

Claims

1. A method for accessing meter components, the method comprising:

providing a meter enclosure having one or more service accessible compartments operable for housing advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) components;

manipulating one or more compartment covers associated with the one or more service accessible compartments;

installing one or more AMI components in the one or more service accessible compartments; and

closing the one or more compartment covers, wherein the meter enclosure protects the one or more AMI components from at least one external element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein installing the one or more AMI components comprises installing one or more of a replaceable AMI card or a replaceable battery, wherein a battery compartment for the replaceable battery is separate from an AMI compartment for the replaceable AMI card.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the meter enclosure further comprises providing at least one current sensing assembly for monitoring current.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein providing at least one current sensing assembly comprises providing at least one current transformer assembly, wherein the at least one current transformer assembly comprises a current transformer cap, a current transformer casing and a current transformer.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein providing the at least one current sensing assembly comprises providing a snap-fit enclosure for a current transformer, wherein the snap-fit enclosure comprises a current transformer cap and a current transformer casing.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the snap-fit enclosure is operable to enclose and secure current transformers ranging in size from about 80% to about 110% of current transformer nominal size.

7. An electrical meter system, comprising:

at least one electrical power transformer;

an energy meter enclosure having one or more service accessible compartments, wherein the service accessible compartments are operable for housing advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) components;

electrical conductors operable for delivering electrical power from the at least one electrical power transformer to the energy meter enclosure;

one or more compartment covers associated with the one or more service accessible compartments, wherein the one or more compartment covers can be manipulated to access the one or more service accessible compartments; and

one or more replaceable AMI components in the one or more service accessible compartments.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) components comprises one or more of a replaceable AMI card or a replaceable battery, and wherein a battery compartment for the replaceable battery is separate from an AMI compartment for the replaceable AMI card.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the energy meter enclosure further comprises at least one current sensing assembly for monitoring current.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one current sensing assembly comprises at least one current transformer assembly, wherein the at least one current transformer assembly comprises a current transformer cap, a current transformer casing and a current transformer.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one current sensing assembly comprises a snap-fit enclosure for housing the current transformer, wherein the snap-fit enclosure comprises a current transformer cap and a current transformer casing.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the snap-fit enclosure is operable to enclose and secure current transformers ranging in size from about 80% to about 110% of a nominal size for the current transformer.

13. The system of claim 7, further comprising at least one communications channel for transmitting power usage information detected by the AMI components to a utility.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

an energy meter enclosure having one or more service accessible compartments, wherein the service accessible compartments are operable for housing advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) components;

one or more compartment covers associated with the one or more service accessible compartments, wherein the one or more compartment covers can be manipulated to access the one or more service accessible compartments; and

one or more replaceable AMI components in the one or more service accessible compartments.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the one or more advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) components comprises one or more of a replaceable AMI card or a replaceable battery, and wherein a battery compartment for the replaceable battery is separate from an AMI compartment for the replaceable AMI card.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the energy meter enclosure further comprises at least one current sensing assembly for monitoring current.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one current sensing assembly comprises at least one current transformer assembly, wherein the at least one current transformer assembly comprises a current transformer cap, a current transformer casing and a current transformer.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one current sensing assembly comprises a snap-fit enclosure for housing the current transformer, wherein the snap-fit enclosure comprises a current transformer cap and a current transformer casing.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the snap-fit enclosure is operable to enclose and secure current transformers ranging in size from about 80% to about 110% of a nominal size for the current transformer.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising at least one communications channel for transmitting power usage information detected by the AMI components to a utility.