Méadar cliste leictreachais
Is é an spioc atá ag an dtioscadal Horizon 2020 Auto-DAN, atá á mhaoiniú ag an AE, ná 'bealach éifeachtach a aimsiú le féinmheasúnú a dhéanamh ar úsáid fuinnimh i bhfoirgintí agus ar na fearais iontu a úsáideann an fuinneamh sin'. Mar chuid de seo, tá mSemicon ag forbairt méadar cliste IoT, darb ainm AD5500.
Déanann an gléas seo tuairisciú ar úsáid leictreachais, mar aon le heolas ábhartha eile a bhailiú, dála fachtóir comhachta, ag ráta uair sa soicind, rud atá gasta. Seoltar ar aghaidh an t-eolas seo chuig an scamall trí leas a bhaint as an ardán Sensioty, de chuid páirtnéir Auto-DAN Flairbit san Iodáil. Déantar scagadh ar an eolas seo ag páirtnéirí eile Auto-DAN IES agus Ollscoil Theicneolaíochta Bhaile Átha Cliath mar chuid d'aidhmeanna ghinearálta an tionscadail Auto-DAN.
Connectivity
The ADD5500 can transmit information in many ways. In typical usage, local wifi is used, allowing large quantities of data - down to one second intervals - to be transmitted. Wifi setup is facilitated through the use of a small high-resolution colour display (with image shown below). Where wifi is unavailable, backup GSM can be used, but in this case reduced data reporting is recommended in order to contain operating costs. The GSM module is also equipped with NB-IoT, which further extends potential coverage. In future it is planned to add zWave and Zigbee connectivity, but these are outside the current scope of Auto-DAN.
The AD5500 is also equipped with on-board local physical layer LoRa. This is used to communicate with other related devices in or near the building concerned, not some public LoRa network. A major benefit of LoRa is its much farther reach than, say, wifi meaning that devices dispersed around a building, and even outside, are more likely to be more connectable than they would were wifi used.
The AD5500 also boasts an on-board webserver function. It is possible to observe the status of measurements as well as internal register information using a nearby local phone.
Load Identification
The objectives of Auto-DAN centre around knowing in detail how power is being used in a building. The intention of the AD5500 is to assist this process by using load data such as power level, variation in current, power factor, and so on, as well as the knowledge of what loads are really installed in specific buildings participating in the Auto-DAN trials. When, during the course of 2022, the data begins to flow, it will be analysed in order to create load profiles which can be used in this process. Some of this processing will be in the device itself, aided by machine learning algorithms.
Specific Loads
Usually, one of the biggest energy loads in many buildings, and especially homes in northern Europe, is in their heating systems. Often, heating is provided by gas, not electricity. Since some of the benefits of Auto-DAN will manifest themselves as reductions in gas consumption, a parameter that is typically more difficult to measure in real-time than electricity is, a special sensor to monitor the operating status of gas boilers is also being developed as part of Auto-DAN. This device communicates directly to the Smart IoT Meter over the physical LoRa layer, obviating the need for an independent channel to the cloud. There is also provision, similarly over the physical LoRa channel, to communicate with compatible load sensors (similar to smart plugs) placed on strategic loads that may otherwise be difficult to identify. This all means that the reach of the AD5500 Smart IoT Meter can extend without the need for a specific gateway, other than the local wifi.
