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A Solution to Remote Detection of Illegal Electricity Usage via
Power Line Communications
Document By
SANTOSH BHARADWAJ REDDY
Email: help@matlabcodes.com
Engineeringpapers.blogspot.com
More Papers and Presentations available on above site
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
kilowatthour meter. In the case of the difference
INTRODUCTION:
The automatic meter reading (AMR) system
has become a necessity for most energy suppliers
as deregulation, free customer choice and open
market competition occur in the energy supply
sector. Power line communications has many
new service possibilities on the data transferring
via power lines without use extra cables. AMR is
a very important application in these possibilities
due to every user connected each other via power
lines. If an AMR system may be established in a
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 obtained from turkey’s
power lines are given. This paper describes a
prototype of the detector system for illegal
electricity usage using the power lines. The
target of this study is to discover new and
possible solutions for the lack of literature
concerning this problem.
power network, every user connected each other
via modems using power lines. AMR is a
technique to facilite remote readings energy
consumption. Another important problem may
be described as illegal electricity usage for
energy suppliers. There is no study in the field to
determine the illegal usage in the literature. In
order to portray the dimensions of this problem,
the following explanations are very interesting.

Illegal electricity may be a serious
problem in many countries. In our country
30%-40% of total electricity consumption is
illegal; adding that prevention of its illegal use is
of great importance in overcoming this problem.
Increasing electricity production and building
complexes is not sufficient to meet demand,
because of the illegal image of electricity. This
illegal electricity causes loss of million dollars to
electricity board. using electricity illegally may
indirectly affect the economic state of a country
negatively. On the other hand, the planning of
national energy may be difficulty in the case of
unrecorded usage.
This illegal usage of electricity problem
can be attempted to be resolved by special skills
of humans, such as the police, special security,
DETECTION OF ILLEGAL ELECTRICITY USAGE :
METHODS OF ILLEGAL ELECTRICITY USAGE :
In this study, the methods of illegal
electricity usage are first determined. In illegal
usage, a subscriber illegally uses electricity in
followings ways.
 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.
 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.
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etc. These methods could not give the optimum
solutions due to their impartialities, Meter
reading has been applied humans and some
electronic solutions such as optical reading
Methods, creditable utilization of electrical
energy, etc. There does not exist a study about
electronic detection of illegal usage of electricity.
This may be related to technological innovations
so far. Today, we have many chips which can be
used for digital energy metering and PLC
modems. At this point of technological
development, the problem of illegal usage of
electricity must be solved electronically, without
any human control. The main aim of this paper is
to start a discussion on this problem and find
solutions similar to this which has occurred.
 Using the external phase before meter
terminals: This method gives
subscribers free energy without any
record.
 Switch 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 electromechnical meters, only
the last two methods are valid for digital meters.
Therefore, this problem should be solved by
electronics and control techniques.
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DETECTION AND CONTROL SYSTEMS :

The proposed control system for the should applied to every low-voltage distribution
detection of illegal electricity usage is shown in network.
Fig. 1. PLC signaling is only valid over the low
voltage-220 VAC power lines. The system

Subscriber 1 Subscriber 2

220 VAC
Distribution
Transformer

To Central Station Subscriber N

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kWh kWh

PLC PLC
1A 2A

PLC energy
1B meter

PLC energy
1B meter

PLC energy
NB meter
Host PLC
Unit
kWh

PLC
NA

Fig .1 Schematically illustration of detection system of illegal electricity usage.
The system given in Fig. 1 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 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.1, the host PLC unit and
the other PLC modems are named PLC1A,
PLCNA and used for AMR. These units provide
communication with each other and send the
recorded data in kilowatt hour meter to 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 AMR
system. As given in Fig. 1 PLC1B, PLCNB and
energy meter chips belong to the detector. The
detector PLCs and energy meters must be placed
at the connection point between distribution
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main lines and subscriber’s line. Since this
connection point is usually in the or at the
ground, it is not suitable for anyone to access,
such 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 frequency
bands, signaling levels, and procedures are
specific 3-95 kHz are restricted for use by
electricity suppliers, a 95-148.5 kHz are
restricted to consumer use. The signal level for
the band 95-148.5 kHz is limited as follows. For
general use the signaling level is limited to
116dB µV (Class 116 equipment), and for
particular applications, e.g., industrial areas, the
signaling level is limited to 134 dB µV (Class
134 equipment). The recorded data in kilowatt
hour meters for every subscriber are sent to host

PLC modem via PLC modems which 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 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 data area 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
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subscriber address and error signal 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.
The main elements of the PLC modem
are ST7537HS1 and the 707VX-T1002 the
ADE7755 is an accurate electrical energy
measurement IC intended for use in single phase
distribution systems, produced by Analog
Device. The main circuits of one detector system
are carried out in the conditions of the
laboratory.
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Main power line

220 VAC

Connector box for k subscriber

PLC Modem Energy meter

k1 address chip

Power line of
k subscriber k subscriber

PLC exist
Modem kWh
k. address meter

Host PLC unit

Main microprocessor logic

PLC
modem

To information center
Fig . 2 illegal detector system for one subscriber

The tests of the proposed detector
system are carried out in the laboratory. Because
the AMR system has not established a power
grid in many places yet, the detector system is
checked using the model of the overall system.
The system model and simulation of the
detection system of illegal electricity usage is
shown in Fig.2. In the laboratory, a host PLC
modem, an energy meter chips and PLC modem,
an electromechanical kilowatt hour meter and its
PLC modem, and an optical reflecting sensor
system are loaded at the same phase of the power
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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 units read
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 132khz, 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
2400b/s. Data signaling between PLC modems
has a protocol which includes a header, address,
energy value data, error detection bits, and other
serial communication bits such as parity and stop
bits. The protocol may also be changed
according to the properties of the required
system and national power grid architecture.

Energy meter PLC KWhmeter

chip modem modem

power line

S disk
Legal

load

Host PLC modem Illegal load

PLC modem optical reflector system
Fig . 3 system simulation and modeling of the detection system of illegal electricity usage for
electromechanical kilowatthour meters.

Fig3 shows the detection system for an Therefore, there is no need for an optical
electromechanical kilowatt-hour meter system. reflector system in digital meters.
In the digital energy meter system, the recorded The results of the tests show that this system
energy may be received in the digital in the may solve this problem economically because
digital form directly using the port of the meter. the budget of the proposed system is

approximately U.S. $20-25 per subscriber. It is
very economical and is a reliable solution when
OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSED DIRECTOR 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 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. Operated 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.
 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.
 An energy meter must be installed in
the connection box between a home line
and main power lines.
 The host PLC unit must be placed in the
distribution transformer and the
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it is compared with the economic loss caused by
illegal usage.
configuration of the addressing format
of PLC signaling must be designed
carefully.
 The host PLC modem 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.
 Operating software must be designed
for the information of every subscriber
in every sub power network: subscriber
identification number, billing address,
etc.
 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.
 The proposed equipment is the only one
distributed in the power network. So
this system should be repeated for all
distributed power networks. All host
units in each distribution transformer
may be connected to only one main
center station via phone lines, fiber-
optics cables, or RF links.
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Fig 4: Effects of distance of the source receiver Fig 5: Bit error probability with frequency
on the loss for various frequency load combinations and load impedance for 1000 meter line.

Fig 6: Effects of line length (m) on

the bit error probability.

Some works are carried out for the applications are done. Obtained results are
proposed system in the project supported hopeful in order to achieve the detection
Turkish government. PLC modems and illegality in the real system. Some results of
second energy meter are realized in the the measurements are shown in Fig.4-6. The
conditions of the laboratory. Signal relations between frequency, length, and bit-
measurements for remote and indoor home order probability are given in these figures.
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CONCLUSIONS:
A detector system to determine illegal
electricity usage via power line
communications is designed and proposed.
The proposed system is examined in
laboratory conditions. Obtained results from
this study show that if the AMR and detector
system are used together, illegal usage of
electricity may be detected. The proposed
system has not been tried in real power lines
due to nonexistent AMR system in our
country. In the near future, combined AMR
and detector systems will be tried in our
country as explained above. One of the main
aims of this study is to start new discussions
and propose solutions in this field, because
illegal usage is a serious problem in our
country. and may also be in other parts of
the world.

REFERENCES:

IEEE Trans. power delivery, vol.16,2001

IEEE Trans. power delivery, vol.17,2002
www.google.com
www.electrotek.com
IEEE Trans. power delivery, vol.13,1998

Document By
SANTOSH BHARADWAJ REDDY
Email: help@matlabcodes.com
Engineeringpapers.blogspot.com
More Papers and Presentations available on above site