Celesc, the largest electricity distributor in Santa Catarina, Brazil, serving over 3 million customers, has positioned itself as an innovator in Automated Meter Reading (AMR) and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). The city of Araranguá was selected as the site of an ambitious pilot project, automating data collection from approximately 35,400 electricity meters.
The project was awarded to Wasion, a renowned manufacturer of electrical distribution solutions including smart meters, WiSUN gateways, and balance meters. Searching for a robust and reliable communication backbone, Wasion chose RACOM’s proven RipEX radio modems, already trusted by Celesc from previous successful applications.
The Araranguá AMI project integrates multiple advanced components:
- Smart Meters: Installed for accurate and remote electricity consumption monitoring
- Transformer Measurement Sets: Smart devices gathering electrical data directly from transformers
- Field Area Network (FAN): Utilizes RF Mesh WiSUN technology in the 900 MHz license-free band, connecting end-points with central data concentrators
- Backbone Network: Employs RipEX radio modems in the 400 MHz licensed band for secure, bidirectional data communication from FAN concentrators to the central Meter Data Collector (MDC)
- Network Device Management System: Ensures efficient oversight and control
- MDC and MDM Systems: Responsible for securely managing and processing measurement data, ensuring accuracy and reliability across the network
Wasion engineers collaborated closely with RACOM’s technical support team to implement a tree-structured communication solution. The network strategically divided end meters into 120 localized areas, each managed by a concentrator connected to approximately 300 meters through WiSUN technology.
These concentrators were further grouped into 12 clusters, each with around ten concentrators. Data-intensive communications from clusters to the central station utilized RipEX2 modems, capable of delivering throughput up to 1.7 Mbps. The central network hub in Araranguá then seamlessly integrates with Celesc’s control system located in Florianópolis via an IP network.
Despite meticulous planning, practical installation challenges arose. Factors like unexpected metallic structures near antennas and new high-rise constructions initially impacted signal strength and reliability. However, RipEX’s flexibility proved invaluable, allowing endpoints to serve simultaneously as repeaters. This capability significantly reduced costs by eliminating the need for additional infrastructure.
Furthermore, Araranguá frequently experiences severe storms that initially caused modem failures. Investigation by RACOM’s local technical support and partner Utili identified inadequate grounding as the root cause. Implementing recommended grounding solutions permanently resolved these issues, enabling the network to achieve impressive long-term reliability of 99.9%.
The Araranguá AMI project exemplifies RACOM’s commitment to excellence. Even amidst unforeseen challenges, RACOM and its partners consistently deliver resilient, future-proof solutions.
