A utility meter includes an electrical conductor portion, a service switch, and a heat sink. The electrical conductor portion provides electrical communication between a supply line terminal and a load line terminal, and the supply line terminal electrical communication an electrical source. The service switch is selectively operable to interrupt electrical communication between the supply line terminal and the load line terminal. The heat sink is in thermal communication with the electrical conductor portion to dissipate heat generated by a current passing through the electrical conductor portion between the supply line terminal and the load line terminal.

A utility meter includes an electrical conductor portion, a service switch, and a heat sink. The electrical conductor portion provides electrical communication between a supply line terminal and a load line terminal, and the supply line terminal electrical communication an electrical source. The service switch is selectively operable to interrupt electrical communication between the supply line terminal and the load line terminal. The heat sink is in thermal communication with the electrical conductor portion to dissipate heat generated by a current passing through the electrical conductor portion between the supply line terminal and the load line terminal.

A sacrificial anode for use with a meter is provided. The sacrificial anode comprising an anode body including one or more anodic metals, the anode body being configured to be positioned in a problem area of the meter including a cathodic metal, such that the anode body corrodes in place of the cathodic metal of the problem area preserving the cathodic metal. Related meters and systems are also provided.

A utility meter includes an electrical conductor portion, a service switch, and a heat sink. The electrical conductor portion provides electrical communication between a supply line terminal and a load line terminal, and the supply line terminal electrical communication an electrical source. The service switch is selectively operable to interrupt electrical communication between the supply line terminal and the load line terminal. The heat sink is in thermal communication with the electrical conductor portion to dissipate heat generated by a current passing through the electrical conductor portion between the supply line terminal and the load line terminal.

A three-phase toroidal current transducer comprises a cuboid detector body (12), having three cylindrical passages (14) each for receiving a single-phase cable of a three-phase load (not shown). Each of the three passages (14) has an embedded toroidal winding (not shown) which is used to detect a current in the load cable (also not shown). Signals representing the current in each of the three individual load cables are sent to a meter (not shown), which may be located remotely. The signals are transmitted along a multi-core signal cable (16), which has a standard connector (18) for a plug-in connection to the meter. One of the wires in the multi-core signal cable (16) is connected to a component in the transducer (10) that identifies the rating of the transducer, so that the meter can determine this automatically when the signal cable is plugged in.

A three-phase toroidal current transducer comprises a cuboid detector body (12), having three cylindrical passages (14) each for receiving a single-phase cable of a three-phase load (not shown). Each of the three passages (14) has an embedded toroidal winding (not shown) which is used to detect a current in the load cable (also not shown). Signals representing the current in each of the three individual load cables are sent to a meter (not shown), which may be located remotely. The signals are transmitted along a multi-core signal cable (16), which has a standard connector (18) for a plug-in connection to the meter. One of the wires in the multi-core signal cable (16) is connected to a component in the transducer (10) that identifies the rating of the transducer, so that the meter can determine this automatically when the signal cable is plugged in.

According to one embodiment, an electronic device includes a transformer connected to a power supply device, a super capacitor chargeable with an output of the transformer, a voltage converter connected to the transformer, a processor having a power supply terminal supplied with an output of the voltage converter, first and second photo-couplers connected to the power supply device, and a capacitor connected to a primary side of the second photo-coupler through a resistor. The primary side of the second photo-coupler is grounded via a pull-down resistor. The processor includes first and second terminals connected to the first and second photo-couplers and a third terminal supplied with a charging voltage of the super capacitor.

An arrangement for measuring an internal clock within an electricity meter includes an optical communication circuit within the meter, an optical detector external to the meter, and a frequency counter. The optical communication circuit within the electricity meter is operably coupled to receive a pulse output of the meter's internal clock, and is further configured to generate a corresponding optical pulse representative of the pulse output. The optical detector is configured to detect the pulse output via an optical port of the electricity meter. The frequency counter is operably coupled to receive from the optical detector a signal that is representative of the detected pulse output.

An arrangement for measuring an internal clock within an electricity meter includes an optical communication circuit within the meter, an optical detector external to the meter, and a frequency counter. The optical communication circuit within the electricity meter is operably coupled to receive a pulse output of the meter's internal clock, and is further configured to generate a corresponding optical pulse representative of the pulse output. The optical detector is configured to detect the pulse output via an optical port of the electricity meter. The frequency counter is operably coupled to receive from the optical detector a signal that is representative of the detected pulse output.

An electrical circuit protecting an electrical utility meter used in connection with an electrical supply connection having a plurality of phases is disclosed. The circuit includes a plurality of voltage transformers, each of the plurality of voltage transformers electrically connected between one of the plurality of phases of the electrical supply connection and an input power connection of an electrical meter, and an electrical connection of the electrical meter dedicated to a power supply of the electrical meter.