Design and Implementation of GSM Based Transformer Phase Monitoring System

Abstract

In electric power distribution, transformers used in the process of distributing electric power to the final consumers which include industries and residents stand chances to fail due to overloading. Most often, fuses are the major components that fail in other to protect the transformer from severe damage. In situation like this it is deemed necessary for electric distribution company personnel to be notified of such failure as a smart response in other to bring a quick power restoration to the community or area affected. In this work, the design and implementation of a transformer phase monitoring system, which continuously check for blown fuses on each phases of the distribution transformer was carried out. The system promptly reports any transformer with blown J&P fuse via a preprogrammed SMS which will state the location of the transformer and the open phase. This system consists of “blown fuse circuit detectors” each connected across the fuse of each phase of the transformer. The detector was designed around an optocoupler and an Operational Amplifier (LM324) functioned to detect an open fuse. PIC16F876A was used under a program written in mikrobasic to process the output of the “blown fuse detectors”. If any open fuse was detected, it generates control signal to a SMS control unit consisting of a SAGEM mobile phone and an 8051 microcontroller. The SMS control unit sends an SMS to the distribution company as a failure notification, using AT commands over RS232 serial interface of the system. The system was designed and tested and it was found to work satisfactorily.