An Efficient Monitoring of Substations Using Microcontroller Based Monitoring System

The paper proposes an innovative design to develop a system based on AVR micro controller that is used for monitoring the voltage, current and temperature of a distribution transformer in a substation and to protect the system from the rise in mentioned parameters. Providing the protection to the distribution transformer can be accomplished by shutting down the entire unit with the aid of the Radio frequency Communication. Moreover the system displays the same on a PC at the main station which is at a remote place. Furthermore it is capable of recognizing the break downs caused due to overload, high temperature and over voltage. The design generally consists of two units, one in the substation unit, called as transmitter and display unit, and another in the Main station called as controlling unit. The transmitter and the display units in the substation is where the voltage, current and temperature are monitored continuously by AVR microcontroller and is displayed through the display unit. An RF transmitter is used for transmitting the signals that are obtained. The controlling unit in the main station by means of a PC and a RF receiver receives the RF signals that are transmitted by the Transmitter unit and reacts in accordance to the received signal. In general, the proposed design is developed for the user to easily recognize the distribution transformer that is suffered by any open or short circuit and rise in temperatures. The ultimate objective is to monitor the electrical parameters continuously and hence to guard the burning of distribution transformer or power transformer due to the constraints such as overload, over temperature and input high voltage. If any of these values increases beyond the limit then the entire unit is shut down by the designed controlling unit