Smart Flow Meter With Tamper Protection

Abstract

Pakistan faces a distinctive challenge concerning the pilferage of natural gas, a problem that remains unaddressed by conventional methods such as manual inspection of flow meters by company personnel. The reliance on human resources for tampering checks not only consumes considerable time but also proves inefficient due to corruption and/or inadequate training of personnel. Furthermore, the billing process, which involves significant time and resources, becomes redundant in light of modern communication techniques. We must embrace the advancements of the 21st century to enhance efficiency, streamline operations, and conserve valuable time. Another problem regarding the distribution of gas is the need for load shedding in winter. If digital meters are used, we could utilize their potential to simply set daily quotas for the volume of gas available to them which they can then use according to their convenience instead of relying on set times. To tackle these challenges, we propose the development of a smart gas flow meter capable of detecting traditional methods of tampering. Secondly, the use of Bluetooth communication can be used to facilitate automatic billing. Finally, by the implementation of optimization, we can achieve greater control over the gas flow compared to the limitations imposed by manual meters. This provides users with the opportunity to either use their allocated volume according to a company regulated schedule or their own.