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Spatial and temporal assessment of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields emitted by smart meters and smart meter banks in urban environments.
- Source :
-
Environmental Research . Apr2020, Vol. 183, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p. - Publication Year :
- 2020
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Abstract
- This paper describes radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic field (EMF) measurements in the vicinity of single and banks of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) smart meters. The measurements were performed in a meter testing and distribution facility as well as in-situ at five urban locations. The measurements consisted of gauging the RF environment at the place of assessment, evaluating the worst-case electric-field levels at various positions around the assessed AMI meter configuration (spatial assessment), which ranged from a single meter to a bank of 81 m, and calculating the duty cycle of the system, i.e. the fraction of time that the AMI meters were actually transmitting (12-h temporal assessment). Both in-situ and in the meter facility, the maximum field levels at 0.3 m from the meter configurations were 10–13 V/m for a single meter and 18–38 V/m for meter banks with 20–81 m. Furthermore, 6-min average duty cycles of 0.01% (1 m) up to 13% (81-m bank) were observed. Next, two general statistical models (one for a single meter and one for a meter bank) were constructed to predict the electric-field strength as a function of distance to any configuration of the assessed AMI meters. For all scenarios, the measured exposure levels (at a minimum distance of 0.3 m) were well below the maximum permissible exposure limits issued by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Indeed, the worst-case time-average exposure level at a distance of 0.3 m from an AMI installation was 5.39% of the FCC/IEEE and 9.43% of the ICNIRP reference levels. • We present a method to assess spatiotemporal RF-EMF exposure to AMI smart meters. • Measurements of smart meter(s) (banks) were performed in a densely populated area. • Maximum field levels at 0.3 m were 13 V/m (1 m) and 38 V/m (>20 m). • Duty cycles were between 0.01% (1 m) and 14% (81-m bank). • The maximum time-averaged exposure level was 9.43% of the ICNIRP reference level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00139351
- Volume :
- 183
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Environmental Research
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 142703100
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2020.109196