A3 ALPHA Meter Technical Manual

1 A3 ALPHA MeterElectronic Meter forElectric Energy MeasurementTechnical ManualTM42-2190 BUS English (en) 2003 by Elster electricity , LLC. All rights are part of this software or documentation may be reproduced, transmitted, processed or recorded by any means or form, electronic, mechanical, photographic or otherwise, translated to another language, or be released to any third party without the express written consent of Elster electricity , in the United States of information contained in this software and documentation is subject to change without notice. Product specifications cited are those in effect at time of publication. Elster electricity , LLC shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for incidental or consequential damages in connection with the furnishing, performance, or use of this material.

2 Elster electricity , LLC expressly disclaims all responsibility and liability for the installation, use, performance, maintenance and support of third party products. Customers are advised to make their own independent evaluation of such and ALPHA Plus are registered trademarks and Metercat and AlphaPlus are trademarks of Elster electricity , product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective ALPHA Meter Technical ManualContentsContentsFCC Compliance .. viiClass B Devices .. viiClass A Devices .. viiTelephone Regulatory Information .. viiiDisclaimer of Warranties and Limitation of Liability.

3 IxSafety Information .. xRevisions to This Document .. xi1. Introduction .. 1-1 The A3 ALPHA Meter .. 1-2 Standards Compliance.. 1-3 Benefits .. 1-4 Reliability.. 1-4 Maintainability .. 1-4 ANSI Standard Communication .. 1-4 Adaptability .. 1-4 Economy .. 1-5 Security .. 1-5 Accuracy .. 1-5 Features .. 1-6 Standard Features .. 1-6 Advanced Features .. 1-6 Option Boards .. 1-7 Meter Types .. 1-8 Demand meters .. 1-8 TOU meters .. 1-8kVA meters .. 1-8 Reactive meters .. 1-9 Meter Types Suffixes .. 1-10 ALPHA Keys.. 1-102. Product Description .. 2-1 System Overview .. 2-2 System Architecture .. 2-2 General Theory of Operation.

4 2-2 Power Supply .. 2-2 Current and Voltage Sensing .. 2-2 Meter Engine .. 2-3A3 ALPHA Meter Technical ManualTM42-2190 BContentsA3 ALPHA Meter Technical .. 2-3 EEPROM .. 2-3 Billing Data .. 2-4 Metered Energy and Demand Quantities .. 2-4 Average Power Factor .. 2-5 Demand Calculations .. 2-5 Maximum Demand .. 2-7 Demand Forgiveness .. 2-9 Primary and Secondary Metering .. 2-9 TOU Data .. 2-10 Power Fail Data .. 2-10 Logs and Data Sets .. 2-10 Event Log .. 2-11 History Log .. 2-11 Self Reads .. 2-11 Load Profiling .. 2-12 Instrumentation Profiling .. 2-13 PQM Log .. 2-14 Voltage Sag Log .. 2-15 User Defined Tables.

5 2-15 Physical Description .. 2-16 Cover Assembly .. 2-16 Electronic Assembly .. 2-16 Base Assembly .. 2-17 Physical Dimensions .. 2-193. Operating Instructions .. 3-1 Indicators and Controls.. 3-2 LCD .. 3-2 Quantity Identifier .. 3-2 Display Quantity .. 3-2 Potential Indicators .. 3-3 EOI Indicator .. 3-3 Real Energy Indicators .. 3-3 Alternate Energy Indicators .. 3-3 Power/Energy Units Identifier .. 3-4 Operating Mode Indicator .. 3-4 Display Identifiers .. 3-5 Using the Push Buttons .. 3-5 RESET Button .. 3-6 ALT Button .. 3-7 RESET/ALT Mechanism .. 3-8 TEST Button .. 3-8 Clearing Billing Data .. 3-9 Operating Modes.

6 3-11 Normal Mode.. 3-11 Alternate Mode .. 3-11 Test Mode .. 3-12 Optically Initiated Test Mode.. 3-13 Demand Reset .. 3-14 Demand Reset Lockout .. 3-15 Demand Reset Data Area .. 3-15A3 ALPHA Meter Technical Meter Tools .. 4-1 System Instrumentation .. 4-2 System Service Tests .. 4-7 Service Voltage Test .. 4-7 Overview.. 4-7 System Service Locking .. 4-7 Initiating Service Voltage Tests .. 4-10 Restarting the Service Voltage Test in Diagnostic Mode4-13 Service Current Test.. 4-14 Initiating the Service Current Test .. 4-15 System Service Error Codes .. 4-16 PQM .. 4-18 Voltage Sags .. 4-19 Voltage Sag Counter and Timer.

7 4-19 PQM Tests .. 4-20 PQM Event Counters and Timers .. 4-20 Service Voltage Test .. 4-21 Low Voltage Test.. 4-21 High Voltage Test .. 4-22 Reverse Power Test & PF Test .. 4-22 Low Current Test .. 4-22 Power Factor Test.. 4-23 Second Harmonic Current Test .. 4-23 Total Harmonic Distortion Current Test .. 4-23 Total Harmonic Distortion Voltage Test .. 4-24 Voltage Imbalance Test .. 4-24 Current Imbalance Test .. 4-24 Total Demand Distortion Test .. 4-25 Security .. 4-26 Meter Passwords.. 4-26 Anti Tampering .. 4-275. Outputs .. 5-1 Relay Outputs .. 5-2 Relay Related Alarms .. 5-3 Relay Specifications .. 5-5 Optical Pulse Outputs.

8 5-6 Output Specifications .. 5-66. Testing .. 6-1 Overview.. 6-2 Meter Self Test .. 6-2 Error Codes and Warnings .. 6-3 Error Codes .. 6-3 Warning Codes .. 6-8 Communication Codes .. 6-11 Meter Shop Testing.. 6-13 Test Equipment .. 6-13 Test Setup .. 6-13 General Test Setup .. 6-14 Formulas Used in Testing .. 6-16 Watthour Constant .. 6-16 ContentsA3 ALPHA Meter Technical Meter Accuracy .. 6-17 Determining the Power .. 6-17 Calculating Power .. 6-18 Meter Testing .. 6-18 Watthour Testing .. 6-19 VARhour Verification.. 6-19 VAhour Verification .. 6-20 Installation Site Testing .. 6-22 Test Mode .. 6-22 Timing Tests.

9 6-22 Using the EOI Indicator While in Test Mode .. 6-23 Displaying the Time Remaining .. 6-23 Using the EOI Indicator While in Normal Mode .. 6-23 Accuracy Tests .. 6-24 Using the Pulse Count Display .. 6-24 Manually Counting Pulses .. 6-257. Installation and Removal .. 7-1 Preliminary Inspection .. 7-2 Placing the Meter into Service.. 7-3 Installing an S Base Meter .. 7-3 Installing an A Base Meter .. 7-3 Installing a Battery .. 7-4 Energized for at Least 1 Minute.. 7-4 Not Energized for at Least 1 Minute .. 7-5 Initial Setup .. 7-7 Removing the Meter from Service .. 7-8 Removing an S Base Meter .. 7-8 Removing an A Base Meter .

10 7-8 Removing a Battery .. 7-9 Disassembling the Meter .. 7-10 Removing the Meter Cover .. 7-10 Removing the Nameplate.. 7-11 Removing the Electronic Assembly .. 7-118. Loss Compensation .. 8-1 Introduction .. 8-2 What is Loss Compensation? .. 8-2 Availability .. 8-2 Software Support .. 8-3 Calculating the % Correction Values for Configuring the Meter .. 8-3 Gather Data Necessary for Calculation of Loss Compensation Parameters .. 8-4 Calculate the Meter configuration parameters .. 8-4 Line Loss Calculations .. 8-7 Input Data Necessary to Calculate Line Losses .. 8-7 Calculation Example .. 8-10 Inputs .. 8-10 Calculations.