Volt-ampere phase meter VFM-3 will help you to detect theft of electricity

Volt-ampere phase meter VFM-3 will help you to detect theft of electricity

The gradual growth of standards for reducing electricity losses requires a constant fight against the causes of these losses. One of the types of losses is theft of electricity by consumers.

The main ways to steal electricity:

  1. Unauthorized connection to the electrical network;
  2. Interference in the operation of the consumption energy meter (magnets, bugs);
  3. Violation of the connection diagram of the consumption energy meter («inverted» phase).

Fighting theft involves an integrated approach that includes combating all three methods. And if there is already extensive experience to combat the first method of theft, then methods of combating methods 2 and 3 are still being developed.

An anti-magnetic seal can be used to prevent interference with the operation of the energy meter with a magnet.

Volt-ampere phase meter VFM-3 will help to detect violations of the consumer’s energy meter connection diagram. The device allows you to simultaneously measure currents and voltages in a three-phase network and displays a vector diagram, which can be used to judge the correct connection of the energy meter: all the «errors» in the connection become obvious (see Fig. 1 and Fig. 2). And the function of the energy meter built into the device allows you to determine whether it is necessary to examine the energy meter for the presence of non-disconnected «bugs».

Figure: 1. Correct connection of the energy meter

Figure: 2. Incorrect connection of the energy meter

Using the VFM-3 Volt-ampere phase meter really gives the result! This is confirmed by an excerpt from the materials of the court case, where his indication from display was used as evidence. VFM-3 was used to formation the vector diagram of the energy meter connection; after the check, the fact of incorrect connection was revealed. According to: «The vector diagram of the energy meter connection was taken by a volt-ampere phase meter showed that the energy meter was connected incorrectly, the secondary circuits of phase «A» were turned into 180°, the power measured by the energy meter at the time of check was 0.93 kW, while with correct connection 3.13 kW. The underestimation is 70.29% ”.

At present, the VFM-3 volt-ampere phase meter is already successfully used at a number of power supply enterprises to reduce losses.

In addition, VFM-3 is used in the relay protection and automation services of energy enterprises, because the usage of this device is greatly simplifies the assembly of three-phase circuits, provides measurement with sufficient accuracy even at low currents and voltages. In industry, it is used at stations and substations, where it is used in complex tests of protection of generators, transformers, lines, in circuits of current transformers and voltage transformers, when setting up phase-sensitive relay protection circuits.

Thus, the volt-ampere and phase meter VFM-3 is an universal device that will be useful not only in the fight against electricity theft, but will also become a good assistant for relay operators. Do you already have this wonderful device?