VOLUME: 07, Special Issue 07, Paper id-IJIERM-VII-VII, October 2020
66MICROCONTROLLER BASED HIGH VOLTAGE UNDERGROUND CABLE FAULT DETECTOR
Awaneesh Kumar1, Anurag Tamrakar2
1Research Scholar Department of Electrical & Elec. Engg., Swami Vivekanand University, Sagar (M.P)
2Asst. Prof Department of Electrical & Elec. Engg., Swami Vivekanand University, Sagar (M.P)
Abstract- The project is designed for the detection of the fault found in underground cable transmission lines from the base station to the main location (in km) with an Arduino micro-controller kit. In Urban areas, cables are undergrounded rather than in over headed lines. Whenever an error was detected in the underground cable, it is difficult to find the exact location of the fault and therefore, it is very difficult to repair that particular cable or wire. This proposed system helps us to find the exact position of the fault. This designed system consists of an Arduino micro-controller kit along with a DC power supply. Here, the existing sensing circuits consists of a group of resistors, are interfaced with the Arduino micro-controller kit to assist the Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) present inside the device for inferring digital data to the micro-controller kit that is used for the representation of the length of cable (in km). The fault production is done with the set of switches. Relay drivers are used to control the relays used in the device. A 16X2 LCD is connected to the micro- controller to display the required particulars. As short circuit occurs, the voltage across the series resistor changes, which is then fed to an ADC to bloom precise binary data to the programmable Arduino micro-controller kit that further exhibit the precise fault area from the base station (in km). Whenever, a defect occurs in the cable, an alarm goes off (starts making a sound) with the help of a buzzer, to get the field workers be alert and take instant measures.
1. INTRODUCTION
The goal of this project is to find out the distance of the underground cable fault from the base station (in km) using an Arduino micro-controller kit. Generally, overhead cables are used. The fault can be easily detected in these cables but in densely populated areas, we can’t use these types of cables. Instead, we can use underground cables here. Underground cables are suitable in highly populated areas as they are easy to install and requires low maintenance. Also, these are not susceptible to shaking and shorting due to vibrations, wind, accidents etc. and since they are undergrounded, so it is not easy to steal them. But it is not easy to detect the fault in the underground cables. This project deals with an Arduino micro-controller kit, a buzzer and an LCD.
This suggested system greatly reduces the time taken and works effectively and efficiently. The underground transmission cable system is a common practice done in almost every big city. Most of the time, fault occurs due to construction works and other factors. At that time, it is very difficult to dig out these undergrounded cables because of the not known exact
position of the cable fault. Hence, by using this system, we can save our time, money and so the system works properly.
2. RELATED WORK
Various programs are uploaded in Arduino UNO kit which is used for detecting the faults present in the underground cables. Whenever, the fault occurs, it can be found through this Arduino micro-controller kit. The LCD displays the fault present in the cable. In this proposed project, faults are created manually. Cables are of various types.
Each and every cable has different resistance which depends upon the type of materials used. Its value i.e.; the resistance value, depends upon the length of the cable. Here, in this project, resistance plays the leading role. The value of the voltage changes due to the deviation occurred in the resistance at that particular point i.e.; the fault. These faults are found by us.
2.1 Types of Faults
VOLUME: 07, Special Issue 07, Paper id-IJIERM-VII-VII, October 2020
67 In general, faults are of different types.Frequently occurring faults are described below.
Short Circuit Fault
Open Circuit Fault
Earth Fault 2.2 Short Circuit Fault
A short circuit is an electrical circuit that allows a current to travel along an unintended path with no or very low electrical impedance which results in an excessive current flowing through the circuit. A short circuit fault, also known as shunt fault, occurs when there is an insulation failure between phase conductors or between earth and phase conductor(s) or both. An insulation failure results into formation of a brief circuit path that triggers a short-circuit conditions within the circuit.
2.3 Open Circuit Fault
An open circuit fault, also known as series fault, occurs due to the failure of one or more conductors in one or more phases.
2.4 Earth Fault
An earth fault is an inadvertent fault between the live conductor and the earth.
When earth fault occurs, the electrical system gets short-circuited and the short- circuited current flows through the system.
3. PROPOSED SYSTEM
Underground fault detection deals with finding the exact fault location from the base station. Here, we are mainly focusing on the resistance that is found in every cable, which varies directly with the length of the cable. The length of the cable varies directly with the resistance value. If the length of the cable increases, the value of the resistance also increases and if the length of the cable is decreased, its value is also decreased. If any variation takes place in the resistance value, it is called as fault and that point is referred to be as fault point and this fault point can be recognized with the help of this Arduino technology. That fault point depicts the standard of distance (in km) from base station and the value is exhibited by the display unit.
3.1 Block Diagram
Figure 1 Block diagram of an underground cable fault 3.2 Block Diagram Description
The program is uploaded in the microcontroller kit. Program is written and if any fault occurs within the cable, it immediately opens the relay terminal and disconnect that faulty line only. Rest of the other lines operates normally. Arduino is the advanced version of embedded system. These Arduino are of various types, but we selected Arduino UNO because it gets easily adapted with other devices using interfacing. Relay is nothing but is a device that acts as an electromechanical switch; if any fault occurs within the line it disconnects the loadusing relay. The connector of the relay moves from normally closed conduct to normally open conduct. We can easily find the fault and unplug the faulty line. A display unit is connected to the Arduino kit. Once faults occur within the cable, the display unit displays the precise fault location and also displays which phase is affected within the cable and the way long it is affected, buzzer system alert us by an alarming signal.
3.3 Simulation Diagram:
Simulation Diagram Without Fault
Figure 2 Simulation diagram without Fault
VOLUME: 07, Special Issue 07, Paper id-IJIERM-VII-VII, October 2020
68 3.4 Simulation Diagram With FaultFigure 3 Simulation Diagram with Fault 4. SOFTWARE DESCRIPTION PROTEUS SIMULATOR
The Proteus Design Suite is a windows application for schematic capture, simulation, and PCB (Printed Circuit Board) layout design. It is a software for microprocessor simulation, conventional capture, etc. It is developed by lab centre Electronics.
The following are the system components of Proteus
ISIS Schematic Capture – a tool for entering designs.
PROSPICE Mixed mode SPICE simulation – industry standard SPICE3F5 simulator combined with a digital simulator.
VSM – Virtual System Modelling lets co simulate embedded software for popular micro-controllers alongside hardware design.
System Benefits Integrated package with common user interface and fully context sensitive help.
This software contains mixed mode SPICE circuit Simulation, animated components and also microprocessor models to facilitate co-simulation of complete microcontroller-based designs.
This is the perfect tool for engineers to test their micro-controller designs before constructing a physical prototype in real time. The version used for designing the project is Proteus Professional 7.0. This Professional Software is used for automated design of electronic circuits.
One of the main components or Proteus 7.0 is the Circuit Simulation- a product that uses a SPICE3f5 analogue simulator kernel combined with an event-driven
digital simulator that allow users to utilize any SPICE model by any manufacturer.
An extraordinary feature of the package Proteus Professional is its possibility of modelling of the programmable devices:
Microcontrollers, Microprocessors and DSP. Proteus Professional can simulate the subsequent microcontrollers: 8051, ARM7, AVR, Motorola, PIC, Basic Stamp.
The library contains the components of data Co-simulation of microprocessor software within a mixed mode SPICE simulator.
4.1 Arduino Software
The Arduino Integrated Development Environment - or Arduino Software (IDE) - contains a text editor for writing code, a message area, a text console, a toolbar with buttons for common functions and a series of menus. It is connected to the Arduino and the Genuine hardware to upload programs and communicate with them. The code written using Arduino Software (IDE) are referred as sketches.
4.2 Calculation of Underground Cable Resistance
The ac cable resistance can be calculated by using the constants, skin effect proximity effect
Rac=Rdc(1+Ys+Yp)
The DC cable resistance are often calculated by using the constants, resistivity temperature coefficient cross- sectional area,
Rdc=((1.02*10^6*ρ)(1+α(θ-20)))/s 4.3 Skin Effect
Skin effect is the tendency of an alternating electric current (AC) to become distributed within a conductor such that the current density is largest near the surface of the conductor and decreases exponentially with greater depths in the conductor. Skin effect is caused by opposing Eddy Currents induced by the changing magnetic field resulting from the AC. It reduces the effective cross-sectional area of the conductor and thus increases its effective resistance.
4.4 Proximity Effect
Proximity effect is the phenomena of non- uniform current distribution on the surface of adjacent current carrying conductor due to the effect of another
VOLUME: 07, Special Issue 07, Paper id-IJIERM-VII-VII, October 2020
69 current carrying conductor in itsproximity. Since in cables, the conductors are very near to each other, this effect is controlling whereas in Overhead lines as the lines are placed far apart, this effect can be neglected.
5. HARDWARE DESCRIPTION POWER SUPPLY UNIT
Power supply is a vital part of electronic circuit. It is an electrical device that supplies electric power to an electrical load. This circuit requires fixed +5 V DC supply, so to fix this voltage, we need a voltage regulator. For this work, we used IC7805 as voltage regulator. A voltage regulator generates a hard and fast output voltage of a pre-set magnitude that is still constant, no matter changes to its input voltage or load conditions. There are two kinds of voltage regulators: linear and switching. Here, a linear regulator is used which employs anactive pass device (series or shunt) controlled by a high gain differential amplifier. It compares the output voltage with a passive reference voltage and adjusts the pass device to maintain a constant output voltage.
5.1 LCD Display
A Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) is a flat- panel display (or an electronically modulated optical device) that uses the light-modulating properties of liquid crystals combined with polarizers just like a seven-segment display. The only disadvantage of LCD over seven segment display is that seven segments is robust display and can be visualized from a longer distance as compared to LCD.
Here, we are using 16 x 2 alphanumeric displays.
5.2 Relay
A relay is an electrically operated switch.
Many relays use an electromagnet to mechanically operate a switch, but other operating principles are also used, such as solid-state relays. Relays are used where it is necessary to control a circuit by a separate low-power signal, or where several circuits must be controlled by one signal. The first relays were used in long distance telegraph circuits as amplifiers:
they repeated the signal coming in from one circuit and re-transmitted it on another circuit. Relays were used
extensively in telephone exchanges and early computers to perform logical operations.
5.3 Buzzer
A buzzer or beeper is a mechanical, electromechanical, magnetic, electromagnetic, electro-acoustic or piezoelectric audio signalling device that is used in alarm devices, timers, and confirmation of user input such as mouse click or keystroke.
6. RESULT AND DISCUSSION
This proposed design is very helpful in everywhere especially in densely populated regions. This system offers very low cost and accurate solution for critical parts and in some cases, the entire length of overhead high voltage power lines. With appropriate technology utilized in appropriate places, the environmental impact of underground cables is often minimized.
7. CONCLUSION
This project is meant to detect the exact location of circuit fault within the underground cables from the base station (in km) by using an Arduino microcontroller. Relay helps to separate the faulty line from fault free lines.
8. FUTURE SCOPE
The project not only detects the location of the fault present in the circuit in underground cable lines, but also, it can be extended to detect the location of an open circuit fault. To detect an open circuit fault, capacitors are used in ac circuits which measure the change in impedance and calculate the distance of the fault.
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