ABSTRACT

The project is designed to shut down a power supply when it is overloaded by using a super-fast
electronic circuit breaker. The concept of electronic circuit breaker came into focus realizing that
the conventional circuit breakers such as MCBs take longer time to trip. Therefore, for sensitive
loads, it is very important to activate a tripping mechanism at the shortest possible time,
preferably instantaneously.
The typical circuit breaker is based on the voltage drop across a series element proportional to
the load current, typically a low-value resistor. This voltage is sensed and rectified to DC, and
then is compared with a preset voltage by a level comparator to generate an output that drives a
relay through the MOSFET to trip the load. The relay use in accidental short circuits. The unit is
extremely fast and overcomes the drawback of thermal type. It uses a microcontroller from
Arduino.
Furthermore, the project can be enhanced by using a CT for galvanic isolation between mains
and control circuit. Power electronic devices such as high thyristor/IGBT can be used for ultra-
fast operation compared to the relay methods.

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 CHAPTER 1

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background of study
An electrical system can be protected from the overload condition. Industrial instruments or
home appliances failures have many causes and one of the main causes is over load. The primary
of the distribution transformer or any other transformer is designed to operate at certain specific
current, if that current flowing through that instrument is more than the rated current, then
immediately the System may burn because of overload, through this project we are going to
protect the system from overload conditions (Electrical4U.,2018). In this research paper work for
generating high current or overload current more loads are applied to the circuit; so that the
current will be increased. Whenever the over current is drawn by load the circuit will be tripped.
To trip the circuit we are using one relay which will be controlled through arduino. When
overload occurred the relay will trip the total circuit. And it will be monitored on the LCD. LCD
displays are used to display the status of circuit breaker. For protection from overcurrent
condition first we have to measure the total load current. Here we are using CT for measuring the
load current and the output of CT is given to ADC for converting analog output of CT into
digital data. Hence ADC output is given for monitoring purpose. When current increases behind
certain limit then we are going to trip the load by using relay. In this project we are using 230v
bulbs as a load. We are going to increase the load by increasing the number of bulbs ON. When
we ON more bulbs it causes over load condition and arduino will detect that and it will trip the
total load by using relay through MOSFET which acts as switching circuit (Abhishek G.,2016).
The main power supply is given directly to load through CT and step down transformer.
230 volt is Step down to 12v and supplied to a regulated supply unit which consist of bridge
rectifier to convert ac to dc and passed through 7805 regulator to get 5v supply for working of
arduino, capacitor filters are used to remove the ripples to get pure constant dc voltage. The
Current passing to load is sensed by the current transformer and output of CT will be in analog
form is given to the ADC pin of arduino for converting the analog output to digital data. The
current sensed is compared with the inbuilt comparator of arduino which as pre-set reference
value. If the current sensed is less than the pre-set value than MOSFET will be in OFF state and

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relay will not trip the supply to load. As we increase the load current drawn is more so if the
current is increased than the pre-set value than MOSFET will turn ON and energizes the relay
(Abhishek G.,2016).. Thus LED used as an indicator is properly biased, and it glows. The relay
coil gets energized, causing the armature to shift its position to the normal open point from the
normal closed point. The AC supply to the load is thus cut off from the load and the load is
tripped. Once the circuit is tripped it must be reset for further use using reset button. In either
case, the arduino is programmed so as to show the status of the output on the LCD interfaced to
it. In case of normal operation arduino will pin will receive 5v dc from regulator and accordingly
displays the status on the LCD.
1.2. Aim
Nowadays the protection and control of equipment plays a very important role, a circuit
breaker such as Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB) is automatic operated switch designed to shut
down the power supply when overloaded but takes longer time which electrical failure can still
occur within this period (Lalantha K.,2011). The aim of this study is to avoid electrical failure
with super-fast responding time by using a MOSFET and a relay to provide a considerable
accuracy in fault detection and cut offtime, and also its smooth operation compared to
conventional type.
The objectives are outlined thus.
1. To design an electronic circuit breaker with fast failure response.
2. To implement and show how an electronic circuit breaker is designed
3. To implement a circuit that indicates the status of a system during normal and
overloaded conditions.
1.3. Project motivation
The steadily increasing population has caused more demand and consumption of electric
energy in the market, as demand raises so also that of equipment’s used like electrical and
electronics equipment are also costlier. So to protect the electrical system from overload or short
circuit here is one possibility. A circuit breaker is automatic operated switch designed to shut
down the power supply when overloaded. The tripping depends on the current passing through
the CT’s which is connected in series with load. Here, the research work has been carried out to
design a power supply which shuts down when it is overloaded by using a super-fast electronic
circuit breaker (Ravi Kumar, 2013).

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1.4. Significant of the system
The importance focus realizing that the conventional circuit breakers such as MCBs take longer
time to trip. Therefore, for sensitive loads, it is very important to activate a tripping mechanism
at the shortest possible time, preferably instantaneously.
Some of the importance include.
a. Is a better way of avoiding long term damages to our home appliances etc.
b. It provides readout for easy identification and understanding of faults condition without
carrying out troubleshooting.
c. Is a useful device for protection of sensitive load such as an inverter, Automatic voltage
regulator e.t.c.
d. The circuit over all tripping time is less as compared to conventional circuit breaker.

1.5. Project scope

The main scope of this project is designed to shut down a power supply when it is overloaded. .
There are three area covered in this project. Firstly is the use of the comparator that compares a
preset voltage with a corresponding voltage across a series element proportional to the load
current. Secondly the use of the semiconductor MOSFET with gate terminal connected to the
output of the comparator that drives a relay to trip the load. Thirdly, arduino microcontroller that
activates the liquid crystal display LCD to display the status to the system. Fourthly their design
and implementation of a super-fast electronic circuit breaker.

1.5.1. Use of the comparator

In electronics, a comparator is a device that compares two voltages or current and outputs
a digital signal indicating which is larger. It has two terminals which are inverting connected to
preset reference voltage and non-inverting terminal connected to a voltage across a series
element proportional to the load current.

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1.5.2. Semiconductor MOSFET(Z44)

A Power MOSFETs from International Rectifier utilize advanced processing techniques

to achieve extremely low on-resistance per silicon area. This benefit, combined with the fast
switching speed and ruggedized device design that power MOSFETs are well known for,
provides an extremely efficient and reliable device for use in a wide variety of applications.

1.5.3. Use of Arduino

Arduino is an open-source platform used for building electronics projects. Arduino

consists of both a physical programmable circuit board (often referred to as a microcontroller)
and a piece of software, or IDE (Integrated Development Environment) that runs on your
computer, used to write and upload computer code to the physical board. Pin 9 digital input and
output pin of the arduino was used as input from the MOSFET to change the status of the LCD.

1.5.4. Design and implementation of a super-fast electronic circuit breaker

This project uses a current sensing resistor 10R/10w in series with the load. A comparator that
compares the current with a corresponding reference voltage to provide a digital output to the
microcontroller to indicate ba readable display and gate terminal of the MOSFET to drive the
relay.

1.6. Project limitations

a. There is no commercial product called electronic circuit breaker, and there is no industry
recognition or acceptance of this term.
b. Uses relay as the isolator, which makes sounds and arching that will lead to another
failure.
c. High environmental temperature could cause the sensing resistor behaves abnormal.

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1.7. Statement of problem

Home electrical appliances such as automatic voltage regulators, prepaid billing meters,
inverters and so on are equipment that can be easily damaged by overload, if not properly
scrutinize may cause of their flexibility to high voltage and current changes as they are basically
made up of solid state devices or components. This system is one of major electronic advanced
system that can be used to protect such equipment and increasing their life span.

1.8. Definition of important terms

2. MCB: A miniature circuit breaker (MCB) automatically switches off electrical

3. Microcontroller: A programmable unit that controls the whole section.

4. MOSFET: Metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor used as switch.

5. Comparator: Op-amp window comparators are a type of voltage comparator

6. LCD: liquid Crystal Display the shows the state of the system in alphanumerical characters.

7. Sensor resistor: A 10Ω/10W choke resistor caries the load current.

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 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1. INTRODUCTION

The history of power electronics is very much connected to the development of switching
devices and it emerged as a separate discipline when high-power and MOSFET devices were
introduced in the 1960s and 1970s.Since then, the introduction of new devices has been
accompanied by dramatic improvement in power rating and switching performance Because of
their functional importance, drive Complexity, fragility, and cost, the power electronic design
engineer must be equipped with a thorough understanding of the device operation, limitation,
drawbacks, and related reliability and efficiency issues. In the 1980s, the development of power
semiconductor devices took an important turn when new process technology was developed that
allowed integration of MOS and bipolar junction transistor (BJT) technologies on the same chip.
Thus far, two devices using this new technology have been introduced: insulated bipolar
transition (IGBT) and MOS controlled thyristor (MCT). Many integrated circuit (IC) processing
methods as well as equipment have been adapted for the development of power devices.
However, unlike microelectronic ICs, which process information, power device ICs process
power and so their packaging and processing techniques are quite different [6]. Power
semiconductor devices represent the heart of modern power electronics, with two major desirable
characteristics of power semiconductor devices guiding their development (Abhishek G.,2016).
1. Switching speed (turn-on and turn-off times)

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 2. Power handling capabilities (voltage blocking and current carrying capabilities)
Improvements in both semiconductor processing technology and manufacturing and
packaging techniques have allowed power semiconductor development for high-voltage and
high current ratings and fast turn-on and turn-off characteristics. Today switching devices
are manufactured with amazing power handling capabilities and switching speeds as will be
shown later. The availability of different devices with different switching speeds, power
handling capabilities, size, cost etc. makes it possible to cover many power electronics
applications. As a result, trade-offs are made when it comes to selecting power device.

2.2. History of circuit breaker

A circuit breaker is an automatically operated electrical switch designed to protect an electrical
circuit from damage caused by excess current from an overload or short circuit. Its basic function
is to interrupt current flow after a fault is detected. Unlike a fuse, which operates once and then
must be replaced, a circuit breaker can be reset (either manually or automatically) to resume
normal operation.
Circuit breakers are made in varying sizes, from small devices that protect low-current circuits or
individual household appliance, up to large switchgear designed to protect high voltage circuits
feeding an entire city. The generic function of a circuit breaker, RCD or a fuse, as an automatic
means of removing power from a faulty system is often abbreviated as OCPD (Over Current
Protection Device).
Dickson Emmanuel Onyemauwa in 1991 used Main Circuit Breaker (MCB) to maintains
the safety of the electrical gadgets. Often, there is a fluctuation in the supply of electricity. The
voltage may suddenly increase and may damage the electrical gadgets. Sometimes, it may also
cause short circuit and fire. The main circuit breaker or MCB prevents this. Components he used
was a thick cardboard eight inches by 10 inches, two feet of wire, 4 clips, pliers, 9 volts
magnetized wire with a plunger, 220 ohms resistor, battery connector, adhesive tape, aluminium
foil, wire strippers, scissors, 9 volts battery, six 2.5 cm polyboard square, some empty match box
and a LED

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 In 2010 Ibrahim Sama’ila from the Kaduna polytechnic constructed a Password Based
Circuit Breaker is a simple project that helps in controlling the electrical lines with the help of a
password, electrical accidents to the line man are increasing, while repairing the electrical lines
due to the lack of communication between the electrical substation and maintenance staff. This
project gives a solution to this problem to ensure line man safety. In this proposed system, the
control (ON/OFF) of the electrical lines lies with line man. This project is arranged in such a way
that maintenance staff or line man has to enter the password to ON/OFF the electrical line. If
there is any fault in electrical line, then the line man will switch off the power supply to the line
by entering password and comfortably repair the electrical line, and after coming to the
substation line man switch on the supply to the particular line by entering the password. Separate
passwords are assigned for each electrical lines.

In 2013, Ali Nafisat Asabe designed a designed around the famous op-amp LM358. She made

the op-amp work in Differential mode thus making it to compare the current voltage with a

preset voltage. The whole project was built on a bread board (except the power lines) and wasbe

made to work in no time.

Shofolahan Afolabi Olalekan in 2015 worked on a circuit breaker employs a single

operational amplifier (op-amp) and yet has a wide range and is user-friendly. A circuit breaker is
an electrical switch intended to protect an electrical circuit or device from damage caused by
excess current flow or short-circuit. A basic circuit breaker includes a simple fuse and a normal
miniature circuit breaker (MCB). It is designed for a fixed-rated current value in terms of
amperes.

In this circuit, you can select the current value range from milli-amperes (mA) to a few amperes.
A simple circuit compares current with a preset value. If current increases beyond the preset
value, the circuit breaks (opens) the current flow to the load. The circuit then automatically
closes and restores after a specified time or manual reset. The block diagram of the circuit
breaker.

2.3. Software Design:

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The software used in our project is Arduino. It provides a number of library to make

programming simple. In our prototype, the controller AtMega328 is programmed in Arduino.

The program in Arduino designates a preset range of resistance value in digital format (ranging

from 0 to 1023 for analog input and 0 to 255 for digital inputs) of which the digital pin 9 was

used. Any aberration from the set range change the state of the display of the LCD display

whether high (+5V) or low (0V).

2.4. How it works

The project uses a current sensing resistor 10Ω/10W in series with the load. The AC voltage

drop across the same is rectified by IN4007 in the sensing circuit and further filtered by C1, a

10uf capacitor before being fed to the non-inverting input of an op-amp lm324 pin no 3 used as a

comparator. The inverting input terminal is provided with a fixed voltage adjustable to desired

value by RV, via 10k potentiometer. The potentiometer is so set that in the event of normal load

the rectified voltage so derived from the current sensing resistor, is less than the fixed voltage

given to inverting input terminal pin no 2 from the potential divider 10k pot. This results I output

pin going logic low. At zero state providing mosfet IRF-520/Z44 gate no drive voltage. While

extra load is connected the voltage drop at the series resistor 10Ω/10W goes up to drive the non-

inverting input higher than the inverting input resulting in drive voltage availability to the mosfet

in the ratio of 150Ω:1kΩ.The mosfet thus switch on a relay, the contacts of the relay disconnects

the load which is in series with the sensing resistor. While the mosfet conducts, its drain goes to

logic “0” that provides zero voltage to U1, the2nd 7805 IC at its input which results zero logic to

pin 9 of the arduino generating an appropriate display in the LCD connected to the

microcontroller. The comparator is wired with a positive feedback i.e. From pin-1 to pin-3 in a

combination of a 1k resistor and a diodeIN4007 duly filtered by a 10uf which provides a latched

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condition that shifts pin-3 to remain permanently positive such that the mosfet is always on

getting the gate high which makes the relay ON state resulting in the load remaining off even

though no current flows through 10Ω/10W series drop resistor that feeds no voltage then to the

sensing circuit. To restart it has to be switched off and switch on again without excessive load

(Abhishek G.,2016)..

CHAPTER THREE

DESIGN METHODOLOGY

3.1 Project Specification

This is the design and construction of a super-fast circuit breaker system to shut down power

supply when it is overloaded. The concept of electronic circuit breaker came into focus realizing

that the conventional circuit breakers such as MCBs take longer time to trip. Therefore, for

sensitive loads, it is very important to activate a tripping mechanism, at the shortest possible

time, preferably instantaneously.

3.2. Concept Review

The voltage drop across the series element is proportional to the load current, typically a low-

value resistor. This voltage is sensed and rectified to DC then compared with a preset voltage by

a level comparator to generate an output that drives a relay through the mosfet to trip the load.

The relay is used in place of a semiconductor switch is preferred because such solid state

11
switches would invariably fail in case of accidental short circuits. The unit is extremely fast and

overcomes the drawback of thermal type. It uses microcontroller arduino pro min.

3.3. Components Required

Power supply

Arduino Nano

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

Comparator

MOSFET

Relay

Veroboard

Resistors

Pushbutton

3.3.1. Power Supply

The system operates at 12V and 5V with low power consumption. Batteries could be used to

provide the energy required by this device. But also a regulated power supply (220/240V AC,

50Hz) could be used.

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The basic functions in a regulated power supply are transformation, rectification, filtering and

regulation. [

Fig 3.1 Shows a block diagram of a regulate power supply

Transformer

Is a device that can raise or lower the voltage in a circuit but with a corresponding decrease or

increase in current. They are usually made up of at least two coils of wire electrically isolated

from each other but magnetically coupled and wound on the same laminated iron-core. The

basic principle of transformer is mutual induction. Varying current from A.C voltage applied to

the primary creates a magnetic field which cuts the secondary windings, inducing an A.C voltage

depending on the relative ratio of number of coils turns of the secondary and primary windings.

Fig 3.2 An ideal Transformer

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If the secondary coil is attached to a load that allows current to flow, electrical power is

transmitted from the primary circuit to the secondary circuit. Ideally, the transformer is perfectly

efficient; all the incoming energy is transformed from the primary circuit to the magnetic field

and into the secondary circuit. If this condition is met, the incoming electric power must equal

the outgoing power.

Pincoming = IPVP = Poutgoing = ISVS

Giving the ideal transformer equation

Rectifire

This converts A.C to D.C, it is an electronic device which offers low resistance to the flow of

current in one direction (forward bias) and high resistance to current flow in the reverse direction

(reverse bias direction).

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Fig 3.3 Full wave Rectification

A full-wave rectifier converts the whole of the input waveform to one of constant polarity

(positive or negative) at its output. Full-wave rectification converts both polarities of the input

waveform to DC (direct current), as shown in Fig 2.3. It is also more efficient than half wave

rectification.

Filters

Filters are devices mainly used to remove unwanted frequencies or ripples in a given system.

Filter networks are divided into two major categories active and passive networks. Active filter

networks usually contain transistors or operational amplifiers in combination with R, L, and C

elements. While passive filter netwoks consists of usually series-parallel combinations of R, L

and C elements.There are four types of such networks, they include Low pass filter, High pass

filter, Band pass filter, and Band stop filter.

Low pass filters allow only low frequencies to pass through, but attenuates all higher

frequencies. The maximum frequency which it allows to pass through is called the cutoff

frequency. Examples are RL and RC low pass filters

High pass filter allows higher frequencies to pass from input to output while rejecting lower

frequencies. The minimum frequency it allows to pass is called cutoff frquency f c. Examples are

RL and RC high pass filters.

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Band pass filter is a resonant circuit which is tuned to pass a certain band or range of frequencies

while rejecting all frequencies below and above this range called passband.

Bandstop filter is also a resonant circuit that rejects a certain band or range of frequencies while

passing all frequencies below and above the rejected band. Such filters are called wavetraps.

One of the simplest filters used is the low pass RC filter which is shown in Fig 2.4 it permits

signals up to fc to pass through while attenuating frequencies above fc. The range of frequencies

upto fc is called the passband of the filter.

Fig 3.4 An RC low pass filter

5v Regulator

Voltage sources in a circuit may have fluctuations resulting in not providing fixed voltage

outputs. A voltage regulator IC maintains the output voltage at a constant value. Lm7805 a

member of 78xx series of fixed linear voltage regulators used to maintain such fluctuations, is a

popular voltage regulator integrated circuit. The xx in 78xx indicates the output voltage it

provides. 7805 IC +5volts regulated power supply with three terminals (pin1 input, pin2 ground

and pin3 output). Its also attached a heat sink.

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Fig 3.5: voltage regulator (+5V)

3.3.2. Arduino Nano

it has similar functionality to the Arduino uno, but in the DIP module package and works with a

Mini-B USB cable. Is also a Arduino clone which is perfectly compactible with Arduino IDE

(Integrated Development Environment). The technical specifications of the Arduino Nano board

is that is uses a microcontroller ATmegaa328, with operating voltage 5v, input voltage 6-20v, 14

digital IO(Input and Output) pins of which 6 provide PWM output, 8 Analog input pins, flash

memory 32kb while 2kb used by bootloader, 2kb SRAM, 1kb EEPROM, 16MHz clock speed

and 0.73” x 1.70” dimensions. The Arduino Nano can be powered via the Mini-B USB

connection of which the sketches from the IDE are uploaded also, 6-20v unregulated external

power supply (pin30), or 5v regulated external power supply (pin 27).

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Fig 3.6 Arduino

3.3.3. Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

Liquid Crystal Display screen is an electronic display module and finds a range of applications,
A 16x2 LCD display is very basic module and is very commonly used in various devices and circuit as
used in irrigation system. These modules are preferred over seven segments and other multi segment
LEDs. The reasons being LCDs are economical and easily programmmable, have no limitation of
displaying special and even custom characters, animations and so on.

16x2 LCD means it can display 16 characters per line and there are 2 such lines. In this LCD each
character is displayed in 5x7 pixel matrix and has two registers namely, Command and Data. The
command register stores the command instructions given to the LCD. A command is an instruction given
to LCD to do a predefined task like initializing it, clearing its screen, setting the cursor position,
controlling display etc. The data register stores the data to be displayed on the LCD. The data is the
ASCII value of the character to be displayed on the LCD. Click to learn more about internal structure of a
LCD.

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Fig 3.7 liquid crystal display

3.3.4. Comparator

The LM324 operational amplifier IC can be worked as a comparator. This IC has 4

independent operational amplifiers on a single chip. This a Low Power Quad Operational
Amplifier and it has high stability, bandwidth which was designed to operate from a single
power supply over a wide range of voltages. The quad amplifier can operate at supply
voltages as low as 3.0 V or as high as 3.2 V with quiescent currents about one fifth of those
associated with the MC174. The comparator is a circuit and it is used to compare the two
output voltages of V1 & V2. If the voltage V1 > V2 then the output voltage is zero. If the V2
> V1 then the output voltage is a positive terminal. The symbol of the comparator is shown
below.

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Fig 3.8 comparator

3.3.5. MOSFET

This Mosfet has a low gate threshold voltage of only 4V, this means that the Mosfet can be
turned on even with 5V from the GPIO pin of microcontrollers like Arduino. But this does not
mean that the Mosfet will turn on completely with just 5V, it needs around 10V supplied to the
gate pin to turn on completely and supply 9.2A collector current. So if you are looking for a
Mosfet to be used with microcontroller then you should consider the logic level Mosfet like
2N7002 etc.

The IRF520 is a Power Mosfet with 9.2A collector current and 100V breakdown voltage. The
mosfet has a low gate threshold voltage of 4V and hence commonly used with microcontrollers
like Arduino for switching high current loads.

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Fig 3.9 metal oxide semiconductor FET

3.3.6. 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.

Relays work on electromagnetism, When the Relay coil is energized it acts like a magnet and
changes the position of a switch. The circuit which powers the coil is completely isolated from
the part which switches ON/OFF, This provides electrical isolation. This is the reason we can
control a relay using 5V’s from an arduino and the other end of it could be running an 220 to
240V appliance, the 240V end is completely isolated from the 5V arduino circuitry.

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Fig 3.10. relay module

3.3.7. Veroboard

is a brand of stripboard, a pre-formed circuit board material of copper strips on an

insulating bonded paper board which was originated and developed in the early 1960s by

the Electronics Department of Vero Precision Engineering Ltd (VPE). It was introduced as a

general-purpose material for use in constructing electronic circuits - differing from purpose-

designed printed circuit boards (PCBs) in that a variety of electronics circuits may be constructed

using a standard wiring board.

22
Fig 3.11 vero board

3.3.8. Resistor

A resistor is a passive two-terminal electrical component that implements electrical resistance as

a circuit element. In electronic circuits, resistors are used to reduce current flow, adjust signal
levels, to divide voltages, bias active elements, and terminate transmission lines, among other
uses. High-power resistors that can dissipate many watts of electrical power as heat, may be used
as part of motor controls, in power distribution systems, or as test loads for generators. Fixed
resistors have resistances that only change slightly with temperature, time or operating voltage.
Variable resistors can be used to adjust circuit elements (such as a volume control or a lamp
dimmer), or as sensing devices for heat, light, humidity, force, or chemical activity.

Fig 3.12 resistors

3.3.9. Push Button

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Push-Buttons are normally-open tactile switches. Push buttons allow us to power the circuit or

make any particular connection only when we press the button. Simply, it makes the circuit

connected when pressed and breaks when released. A push button is also used for triggering of

the SCR by gate terminal. These are the most common buttons which we see in our daily life

electronic equipment’s. Some of the applications of the Push button are mentioned at the end of

the article.

Fig 3.13 push button

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Fig 3.14 Block diagram of the design

25
Fig 3.15 Design Program flow chart

3.4.0. Analysis of the flow chart diagram

Start and Stop condition marks the beginning and end of the program operations.

The decision block waits for command to be given so that process will be initiated.

Process take the data from the local memory and compare it if equal give output or else end
command.

26
fig 3.16 circuit design of the system

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DESIGN OF THE POWER UNIT

The power unit converts AC supply available at the mains to DC supply for the electronic
circuits. The transformer is one of the elements in the DC power supply unit. It steps down the
voltage to a suitable level for the circuits, it also provides electrical ground insulation of the
device from the power line to reduce potential shock hazards. The rectifier follows the
transformer and it converts the alternating wave form to a unidirectional but non constant
supply. Silicon rectifiers are popular because of its low cost and high reliability. A capacitor is
used to both smoothen out ripples and convert to dual power supply giving a positive terminal,
negative terminal and ground, then a regulator is used to provide a 5v regulated supply to the
circuit.

3.23 TRANSFORMER DESIGN

The AC supply is rated 220-240V, 50Hz. Since the circuit operate with a DC voltage
range of 9-12V a step down transformer is used. Assuming unity power factor (ideal situation),

Output Voltage Vout = 5V

Input Voltage Vin = 240V

The rated Irms of the secondary winding is 500mA

2× I rms × √ 2
So, Idc =
π

2×500m×√2
=
π

= 450mA

Vdc=√ 2 ×V

¿ √ 2× 5

= 7.07V
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3.24 DESIGN OF THE BRIDGE RECTIFIER

The peak Inverse Voltage (PIV) of a diode is the maximum reverse voltage a diode can
tolerate before it breaks down. Since the output voltage of the transformer is 12.73V, diodes of
PIV above 12.73 that can handle 450mA is selected. For this work, a bridge rectifier using four
IN4001 diodes encapsulated in a chip is used.

3.25 DESIGN OF THE CAPACITOR FILTER

The output of the bridge rectifier has ripples, whose voltage is calculated,

VR= VPP - Vrms ---------------------------------- 3.1

Where VPP = peak to peak voltage of the secondary

I dc
Also VR = -------------------------- 3.2
2 fC

Where f = frequency of the power supply in Hz

C = capacitance in Farad

Equating equations 3.1 and 3.2

I dc
VPP- Vrms =
2 fC

I dc
Therefore, C =
2 f (V pp−V rms )

Since Idc = 450mA, f = 50Hz, Vpp =7.07V, Vrms = 5V

Therefore C = 2174µF

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 For good filtering, the capacitor used must not be less than 2174µF. For this work, 2200
µF capacitor was used. Because capacitors with higher values filter better than capacitors with
lower values. [4]

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 CHAPTER FOUR

DESIGN IMPLEMENTATION AND TESTING

4.1 Project resource centers

This includes:

a. Internet resource centers

b. Experimental aids and observation
c. Teachers and lectures
d. And digital electronics by J.K Mehta

4.1.1 Choice of Materials

The materials I used were from the information I got from the internet and I have to develop the
work through the source I found online that is treating the same case.

The circuit diagram used is the diagram which was design as a prototype but also works to revive
some information about the circuit analysis of the devices which later entered more design like
the alarm unit and the array metrics for the biosensor to give a better operation of the device.

4.2 Design implementation steps

In this design, we are to design and construct a super-fast electronic circuit breaker which when
installed in an electrical equipment will automatically cutoff such equipment from the supply
when the system is overloaded and remains so until the load is reduced. The LCD indicates the
status telling the user the condition of the equipment to take necessary action.

Here, we are to show the various steps we took while trying to archive a working system
(prototype system) of a biosensor system.

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4.2.1 Component listing

a. Microcontroller (Arduino Nano)

b. Voltage regulator (7805)
c. Resistors(1k,10k,)
d. MOSFET(IRF520/Z44)
e. Bridge Rectifier diode (IN4007)
f. Comparator
g. Switch Button
h. Copper board
i. Relay
j. LCD
k. Lamps
l. 12v Stepdown Transformer
m. Capacitors

4.5 Design Steps

These are the various steps we took on the design of this project.

4.5.1 Component placing and wiring

Here, the whole components were place into the Vero board according to its position in the
circuit diagram, the legs were bend to avoid living its space and to avoid it from falling off.

4.5.2 Component soldering

The components were solder using a soft thick lead oxide and the component connections was
done with a tiny flexible wire we got from a networking cable to join one component to the other
according to the circuit diagram and also, the terminals of the components being soldered was
bent to the board to avoid breaks and oxidation which could lead to open circuit.

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4.6 Embedded software integration

After the design of the circuit the microcontroller was programmed to control the whole circuit
with the software program running inside of it. Below are the sketch explanation on Arduino IDE
(Integrated Development Environment).

#include <LiquidCrystal.h>

// initialize the library by associating any needed LCD interface pin

// with the arduino pin number it is connected to

const int rs = 12, en = 11, d4 = 5, d5 = 4, d6 = 3, d7 = 2;

LiquidCrystal lcd(rs, en, d4, d5, d6, d7);

int breakPin=8;

void setup() {

// set up the LCD's number of columns and rows:

lcd.begin(16, 2);

// Print a message to the LCD.

lcd.setCursor(0,0);

lcd.print("Ali PGDE Project");

lcd.setCursor(0,1);

lcd.print("CIRCUIT BREAKER");

delay(2000);

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void loop()

int val=digitalRead(breakPin);

if (val==HIGH)

lcd.clear();

lcd.setCursor(0,0);

lcd.print("System Active");

lcd.setCursor(0,1);

lcd.print("System Safe");

delay(150);

if (val==LOW)

lcd.clear();

lcd.setCursor(0,0);

lcd.print("System Inactive");

lcd.setCursor(0,1);

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 lcd.print("System Overload");

delay(150);

scroll();

void scroll()

// scroll 13 positions (string length) to the left

// to move it offscreen left:

{ for (int positionCounter = 0; positionCounter < 13; positionCounter++)

// scroll one position left:

lcd.scrollDisplayLeft();

// wait a bit:

delay(300);

// scroll 29 positions (string length + display length) to the right

// to move it offscreen right:

for (int positionCounter = 0; positionCounter < 29; positionCounter++)

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 // scroll one position right:

lcd.scrollDisplayRight();

// wait a bit:

delay(300);

// scroll 16 positions (display length + string length) to the left

// to move it back to center:

for (int positionCounter = 0; positionCounter < 16; positionCounter++)

// scroll one position left:

lcd.scrollDisplayLeft();

// wait a bit:

delay(250);

// delay at the end of the full loop:

delay(2000);

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4.6.1 Inserting the microcontroller into the hardware design

Then after that the microcontroller will now be inserted into the circuit for testing, carefully

connecting each of the IO pins of the microcontroller to the respective pins as indicated in the

sketch above. .

4.7 Circuit test

After the implementation of the circuit diagram it has to be powered and checked for accurate

functionality before coupling and packaging.The design makes use of 12V transformer which

was converter to dc using a diode rectifier and a capacitor filter to get an accurate dc from the

voltage supply unit.

4.8 Packaging

As a prototype design in a transparent glass, the casing are in two types, one for the electrical

superfast breaker and the other for the load containing two lamps. Each casing comprises of both

internal and external packaging, the internal parts were soldered and fixed inside the case then

after that, following the external components such as indicator, LCD, ac lamps, fuses and

sockets.

4.9 Design test and error corrections

After the packaging some errors was discovered due to wrong packaging which affected the

reading of the data displayed by the LCD and some components were open circuited, but were

re-soldered and corrected by packing the panels to different location inside the adoptable

transparent box.

4.10 Final test

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The final test was undergone for proper function and design usage.

CHAPTER FIVE

RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION

5.1 Summary

This section of this project report forms the concluding part of the write up and takes a look at

some of the problems encountered during the progressive job on the system and also brings in

suggestions for further improvement and/or enhancement for the system design.

The design and development of this project has really been challenging, as I have been faced

with choices far beyond what I expected. But in the long run the result paid off.

After the complete design of the system, the deviation between the expected result and the actual

result was very close. The performance and efficiency was beyond expectation and from every

ramification, the design of the project was a success.

The project was designed to shut down a power supply when it is overloaded by using a super-
fast electronic circuit breaker. The concept of electronic circuit breaker came into focus realizing
that the conventional circuit breakers such as MCBs take longer time to trip. Therefore, for
sensitive loads, it is very important to activate a tripping mechanism at the shortest possible time,
preferably instantaneously.

38
The typical circuit breaker is based on the voltage drop across a series element proportional to
the load current, typically a low-value resistor. This voltage is sensed and rectified to DC, and
then is compared with a preset voltage by a level comparator to generate an output that drives a
relay through the MOSFET to trip the load. The relay use in accidental short circuits. The unit is
extremely fast and overcomes the drawback of thermal type. It uses a microcontroller from
Arduino.
Furthermore, the project can be enhanced by using a CT for galvanic isolation between mains
and control circuit. Power electronic devices such as high thyristor/IGBT can be used for ultra-
fast operation compared to the relay methods.

5.2 Problem encounter

During the course of the design of this system, there were series of problems which came in the

way of achieving the design goals of this project, most of them were overcome via share

troubleshooting, in some cases some parts require redesigning and the software debugging also

created a bit of a problem especially the multiple readings on the LCD as a result of strays when

the relay is energized.

One major setback of this project is the availability of components required to build the hardware

of the system. In most cases I had to look through electrical catalogs to obtain replacements of

some of the components which are not available in the market.

After developing the software for the microcontroller, it was very difficult to find a

firm/individual to help program the chip (burning the embedded software on to the chip). This

posed serious problem as it brought about delay in the design time and it was also costly, this

also affected the overall cost of the system.

39
The final packaging of the design was also another trouble, as this actually caused problems on

the circuit board. Such problems include partial contact within the circuit board, between

components and also with the wiring. This was actually one of the most challenging aspects of

the circuit implementation phase. Due to this fact, there was a lot of soldering and de-soldering

to ensure that the circuit was well implemented.

5.3 Suggestion for further design

It will be more appreciated if the system is designed to a password in cooperated system so to

help reduce stress if the system finger type malfunctions.

5.4 Recommendation

a. Avoid water spillage on top of the design.

b. Supply the necessary voltage to the system by plugin it

c. s power mains to 230v ac.

d. Ensure proper placement before running the design.

5.5 Conclusion

Going through the planning, flow process, design and software implementation the system had

really been a tough one; but on the whole it has been a chance to show case a little bit of

craftsmanship.

Reference

40
(1). Abhishek G. Shobhit A. Teeka R.A.(2016). Electronic Circuit Breaker. International

Journal of Novel Research in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, 29-34

(2). B.L Theraja and A.K Theraja, A. ( 2003) Textbook on Electrical Technology, , 23rd Edition,

1887-1888.

(3). Paul Horowitz and Windfield Hill, The Art of Electronics, 1989, 2nd Edition, 7-8, 55 –58,,

614-622.

(4). Arduino open source arduino.cc

(5). NTE Electronics Inc., ECG Data Book, January 2002, 10th Edition.

(6). Giorgio Rizzoni, Principles of Electrical Engineering, 2003, 3rd Edition,

(7). Ronald .J Tocci, Digital Systems, Arentice – Hall. Inc. USA, 1988.

(8). Mark Burgess, C programming tutorial, (K & R version 4).

Appendixes

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SYSTEM COMPONENTS LIST

1. Vero Board

2. Connection Wire

3. 16x2 LCD display

4. Soldering Iron

5. AC Cord

6. 240 / 15v, 2000 mA Transformer

7. Rectifier Diodes

8. 2200uf /25V Capacitor

9. 10uf 16V Capacitor

10. 30pf capacitor

11. Resistors

12. 7805 Voltage Regulator

13. LED

14. 12 MHz crystal oscillator

15. Arduino pro-mini

16. IRF3205 H-BRIDGE Driver

17. IC Base Socket (40 pins) and IC Base Socket (16 pins

18.) Transistors

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43