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Paper presentation on

POWER THEFT DETECTION

Abstract:

Power line communication (PLC) presents an interesting and economical

solution for Automatic Meter Reading (AMR). If an AMR system via PLC is
set in a power delivery system, a detection system for illegal electricity usage
may be easily added in the existing PLC network. In the detection system, the
second digitally energy meter chip is used and the value of energy is stored. The
recorded energy is compared with the value at the main kilo Watt-hour meter. In
the case of the difference between two recorded energy data, an error signal is
generated and transmitted via PLC network.

The detector and control system is proposed. The architecture of the

system and their critical components are given. The measurement results are
given.

Index Terms: — Automatic meter reading (AMR), detector, illegal

electricity usage, power line communication, power line
communications (PLC) modem.

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1. Introduction

India, the largest democracy with an estimated population of about

1.04 billion, is on a road to rapid growth in economy. Energy, particularly
electricity, is a key input for accelerating economic growth.

The theft of electricity is a criminal offence and power utilities are

losing billions of rupees in this account. If an Automatic Meter Reading
system via Power line Communication is set in a power delivery system, a
detection system for illegal electricity usage is possible.

Power line communications (PLC) has many new service possibilities

on the data transferring via power lines without use of extra cables.
Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) is a very important application in these
possibilities due to every user connected each other via modems, using
power lines. AMR is a technique to facilitate remote readings of energy
consumption.

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The following sections will describe the proposed detection and control
system for illegal electricity usage using the power lines.

2. Detection of illegal electricity usage

In this section the discussion is on how a subscriber can illegally use

the electricity and the basic building blocks for the detection using power
line communication.

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2.1 Methods of illegal electricity usage

In illegal usage a subscriber illegally use electricity in the following

ways,

1) Using the mechanical objects:

A subscriber can use some mechanical objects to prevent the revolution

of a meter, so that disk speed is reduced and the recorded energy is also
reduced.

2) Using a fixed magnet:

A subscriber can use a fixed magnet to change the electromagnetic field

of the current coils. As is well known, the recorded energy is proportional to
electromagnetic field.

3) Using the external phase before meter terminals:

This method gives subscribers free energy without any record.

4) Switching the energy cables at the meter connector box:

In this way, the current does not pass through the current coil of the
meter, so the meter does not record the energy consumption.

Although all of the methods explained above may be valid for

electromechanical meters, only the last two methods are valid for digital
meters. Therefore, this problem should be solved by
electronics and control techniques [1].

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2.2 Building blocks for detection

2.2.1. Automatic Meter Reading (AMR):

The AMR system starts at the meter. Some means of translating readings
from rotating meter dials, or cyclometer style meter dials, into digital form is
necessary in order to send digital metering data from the customer site to a
central point. In most cases, the meter that is used in an AMR system is the
same ordinary meter used for manual reading but the difference with
conventional energy meter is the addition of some device to generate pulses
relating to the amount of consumption monitored, or generates an electronic,
digital code that translates to the actual reading on the meter dials. One such
technique using optical sensor is shown in Figure 1.

The three main components of AMR system are,

1. Meter interface module: with power supply, meter sensors, controlling

electronics and a communication interface that allows data to be transmitted
from this remote device to a central location.

2. Communications systems: used for the transmission, or telemetry, of data and

control send signals between the

meter interface units and the central office.

3. Central office systems equipment: including modems, receivers, data

concentrators, controllers, host upload links, and host computer [4].

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2.2.2 Power Line Communication (PLC):

Power line carrier communications take place over the same lines that

deliver electricity. This technique involves injecting a high frequency AC

carrier onto the power line and modulating this carrier with data

Figure 2: AMR communication set

up [5].

originating from the remote meter or central station. Power line

communications has many new service possibilities on the data transferring

via power lines without use of extra cables. AMR is a very important

application in these possibilities due to every user connected each other via

power lines. In this power network, every user connected to each other via

modems with data originating from the remote meter or central station.

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Electrical power systems vary in configuration from country to country

depending on the state of the respective power sources and loads. The practice
of using medium-voltage (11-to-33kV) and low-voltage (100-to-400V) power
distribution lines as high-speed PLC communication means and optical
networks as backbone networks is commonplace.

Under normal service conditions, they can be broadly divided into open-
loop systems, each with a single opening, and tree systems with radial arranged
lines. In the case of tree systems, connection points for adjacent systems are
provided in order that paths/loads may be switched when necessary for
operation. Additionally, in terms of distribution line types, there are
underground cables and overhead power distribution lines. Where transformers
are concerned, they can be divided into pole-mounted transformers, pad-
mounted transformers and indoor transformers.

High-speed PLC applications of the future include Automatic Meter

Reading (AMR), power system fault detection, power theft detection, leakage
current detection, and the measurement/control/energy-management of
electrical power equipment for electrical power companies, as well as home
security, the remote- monitoring/control of electrical household appliances,
online games, home networks, and billing [3].

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Figure 3: Schematic illustration of detection system of illegal electricity usage. [1]

Detection and Control System

The proposed control system [1] for the detection of illegal

electricity usage is shown in Fig.3. PLC signaling is only valid
over the low voltage VAC power lines. The system should be
applied to every low-voltage distribution network. The system
given in Fig. 3 belongs only one distribution transformer
network and should be repeated for every distribution network.
Although the proposed system can be used uniquely, it is better
to use it with automatic meter reading system. If the AMR
system will be used in any network, the host PLC unit and a PLC
modem for every subscriber should be contained in this
system. In Fig. 3, the host PLC unit and other PLC modems are
named PLC1A, PLCNA and are used for AMR. These units
provide communication with each other and send the recorded
data in kilowatt-hour meters to the PLC unit. In order to detect
illegal usage of electrical energy, a PLC modem and an energy
meter chip for every subscriber are added to an existing AMR
system. As given in Fig. 3, PLC1B, PLCNB and energy meter
chips belong to the detector.

The detector PLC s and energy meters must be placed at

the connection point between distribution main lines and
subscriber’s line. Since this connection point is usually in the air
or at underground, it is not suitable for anyone to access, such

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that its control is easy. The main procedure of the proposed

system can be summarized as follows.

PLC signaling must be in CENELEC standards. In Europe, CENELEC

has formed the standard EN-50 065-1, in which the frequency bands, signaling
levels, and procedures are specified. 3–95 kHz are restricted for use by
electricity suppliers, and 95–148.5 kHz are restricted to consumer use.

The recorded data in kilowatt-hour meters for every subscriber are sent to
host PLC modem via PLC modems, which is placed in subscriber’s locations.
On the other hand, energy meter chips are located at the connection points and
read the energy in kilowatt-hours and also send the data to host PLC unit. This
proposed detector system has two recorded energy data in host PLC unit, one,
which comes from the AMR-PLC, and the other, which comes from the PLC
modem at the connection points. These two recorded energy data are compared
in the host PLC; if there is any difference between two readings, an error signal
is generated. This means that there is an illegal usage in the network. After that,
the subscriber address and error signal are combined and sent to the central
control unit. If it is requested, a contactor may be included to the system at
subscriber locations to turn off the energy automatically, as in the case of illegal
usage.

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Figure 4: Illegal detector system for one

subscriber. [1]

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3.1 Simulation

The system model and simulation of the detection system of illegal

electricity usage is shown in Fig. 4. It contains a host PLC modem, an energy
meter chip and its PLC modem, an electromechanical kilowatt-hour meter and
its PLC modem, and an optical reflector sensor system is loaded at the same
phase of the power grid. The energy value at the electromechanical kilowatt-
hour meter is converted to digital data using by optical reflector sensor. Disk
speed of the kilowatt-hour meter is counted and obtained data
is sent to PLC modem as energy value of the kilowatt-hour
meter. At the system model, an illegal load may be connected
to the power line before the kilowatt-hour meter via an S
switch. While only a legal load is in the system, two meters are
accorded each other to compensate for any error readings. The
host PLC unit reads two recorded data coming from metering
PLC units. If the S switch is closed, the illegal load is connected
to the system, and therefore two recorded energy values are
different from each other.

The host PLC unit is generated when it received two different

records from the same subscriber. This is the detection of the
illegal usage for interested users. In these tests, the carrier
frequency is selected at 132 kHz, which is permitted in the
CENELEC frequency band. In real applications, the AMR system
may be designed in all CENELEC bands. The data rate between
the host and other PLC modems is 2400 b/s.

Data signaling between PLC modems has a protocol, which

includes a header, address, energy value data, error correction
bits, and other serial communicati changed according to the

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properties of the required system and national power grid

architecture.

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Fig.5 shows the detection system for an electromechanical

kilowatt-hour meter system. In the digital energy meter system,
the recorded energy may be received in the digital form
directly using the port of the meter. Therefore, there is no need
for an optical reflector system in digital meters. The results of
the tests show that this system may solve this problem
economically because the budget of the proposed system is
approximately U.S. $ 20–25 per subscriber. It is very
economical and is a reliable solution when it is compared with
the economic loss caused by illegal usage [1].

Figure 5: System simulation and modeling of the detection system of

illegal electricity usage for electromechanical kilowatt-hour meters. [1]

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4. Overview of the proposed Detector System

The proposed detector system is the equipment and procedure for

controlling more remote stations from a master control station. It includes PLC
modems, energy meters, control logics, and the system software. The PLC
modems are host and target modems for two-way communications to and from
the host station and the remotely controlled targets. The energy meters include
on bits such as parity and stop bits. The protocol may also be

metering chips and some circuit elements; the control and logic units
compare and generate the error signal in the illegal usage. The system software
has two parts: assembler program for the micro controller and the operating
software for the management of the overall system. Operating software may be
downloaded from a PC and should be placed in the main center of the system.

An AMR system including an illegal detector performs the following

functions.

Figure 6: Effects of distance of the source-receiver on the loss

for various [2]
frequency-load combinations [21].
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1) Every user has two PLC modems; one is for AMR and the
other is used to send the data from second energy meter
chip to host PLC modem.

2) An energy meter must be installed in the connection box

between a home line and main power lines.

3) The host PLC unit must be placed in the distribution

transformer and the configuration of the addressing
format of PLC signaling must be designed carefully.

4) The host PLC modems and its controller must include two
addresses per every user: one is the AMR and the other
for the energy meter. These two addresses must be
selected sequentially.

5) Operating software must be designed for the information

of every subscriber in every sub power network:
subscriber identification number, billing address, etc.

6) The system has two values of the energy consumption for

every user, so if there is a difference between them, an
error signal is generated for the illegal user,

7) The proposed equipment is the only one distributed in the

power network. So this system should be repeated for all
distribution power networks. All host units in each
distribution transformer may be connected to only one
main center station via phone lines, fiber-optic cable, or
RF links.

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Results and the variations of the measurements are shown

in Figs. 6–7 [2]. The relations between frequency, length, and
bit-error probability are given in these figures [1].

Figure 7: Bit-error probability with frequency and load impedance for 1000-m [2] line [21].

Research work has been taking place in the CPRI,

Bangalore for the remote metering and detection of power theft
and will soon be helpful to electricity boards in India.

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5. Conclusion

The proposed detector system to determine illegal electricity usage via

power line communications is examined in the laboratory conditions. Results
proved that if AMR and detector system are used together illegal usage of
electricity might be detected. Once this proposed detection systems are tried in
real power lines, the distribution losses in India can be reduced effectively.

6. Acknowledgements

The authors wish to express thanks to Mr. P. Kantha Rao, Head of

department and Mr. Bh.R.K Varma, Associate Professor of EEE, S.R.K.R.E.C
for their suggestions and encouragement in this endeavor.

7. References:

[1] I. H. Cavdar, “A Solution to Remote Detection of …” IEEE Transactions on power

delivery, Vol. 19, No. 4, October 2004.
[2] I. H. Cavdar, “Performance analysis of FSK power line communications systems over
the time-varying channels: Measurements and modeling,” IEEE Trans. Power
Delivery, vol. 19, pp. 111–117, Jan. 2004.
[3] Yoshinori Mizugai and Masahiro Oya “World Trends in Power Line
Communications” Mitsubishi Electric ADVANCE March 2005.
[4] Tom D Tamarkin “Automatic Meter Reading”, Public Power magazine Volume50,
Number5 September-October 1992.
[5] Online; “www.wikipedia.org/powerlinecommunication”
[6] Proceedings, ETP’06, Dept of EEE, S.R.K.R.E.C.

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