Using grouped smart meter data in phase identification

Access to smart meter data will enable electricity distribution companies to have a far clearer picture of the operation of their low voltage networks. This in turn will assist in the more active management of these networks. An important current knowledge gap is knowing for certain which phase each customer is connected to. Matching the loads from the smart meter with the loads measured on different phases at the substation has the capability to fill this gap. However, in the United Kingdom at the half hourly level only the loads from groups of meters will be available to the network operators. Therefore, a method is described for using this grouped data to assist with determining each customer's phase when the phase of most meters is correctly known. The method is analysed using the load readings from a data set of 96 smart meters. It successfully ranks the mixed phase groups very highly compared with the single phase groups

Analyzing the ability of Smart Meter Data to Provide Accurate Information to the UK DNOs

By 2020, smart meters will potentially provide the UK's distribution network operators (DNOs) with more detailed information about the real-time status of the low-voltage (LV) network. However, the smart meter data that the DNOs will receive has a number of limitations including the unavailability of some real-time smart meter data, aggregation of smart meter readings to preserve customer privacy, half-hourly averaging of customer demand/generation readings, and the inability of smart meters to identify the connection phases. This research investigates how these limitations of the smart meter data can affect the estimation accuracy of technical losses and voltage levels in the LV network and the ways in which 1 min losses and correct phasing patterns can be determined despite the limitations in smart data

Managing hyperemesis gravidarum: a multimodal challenge

Up to 90% of pregnant women experience nausea and vomiting. When prolonged or severe, this is known as hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), which can, in individual cases, be life threatening. In this article the aetiology, diagnosis and treatment strategies will be presented based on a selective literature review. Treatment strategies range from outpatient dietary advice and antiemetic drugs to hospitalization and intravenous (IV) fluid replacement in persistent or severe cases. Alternative methods, such as acupuncture, are not yet evidence based but sometimes have a therapeutic effect