Circuit Protection Solutions Optimized for Smart Meter Power, Measurement and Communications Port Protection
The process of generating and distributing energy has been undergoing changes over the past several years and more changes are on the horizon. Generating energy from alternative sources, such as solar power, and spanning to the smart meter at the customer’s location adds to the requirement and design challenge complexities facing engineers. One such challenge is selecting a Photovoltaic (PV) inverter and placing it within a system that delivers the desired quality and reliability. Additionally, the awareness of downtime is greater, so circuit protection solutions must be robust to ensure systems remain unharmed when exposed to overcurrent and overvoltage conditions from transients. The presence of communications ports in smart meters introduces another set of interfaces to protect. Overall, a design paradigm shift required for energy generation and distribution systems can be narrowed down to three main areas within a smart meter: power, measurement and communications.
This paper will introduce a variety of components available to help optimize the circuit protection design in smart meters that includes power circuits, current sensing for measurement and port protection for communications.
