Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Thesis Paper
Thesis Paper
2014/1/50002CM
NOVEMBER 2019
Table of Content
Cover Page ⅰ
Title Page ⅱ
Declaration ⅲ
Certification ⅳ
Acknowledgements ⅴ
Abstract ⅵ
Table of Contents ⅶ-
ⅷ
List of Tables ⅸ
List of Figures ⅹ
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3.3 Design Flow Chart
3.4 Design Hardware Requirement
3.4.1 Arduino
3.4.2 LCD Display
3.4.3 Relay
3.4.4 Matrix Keypad
3.4.5 GSM Module
3.4.6 Relay Driver
3.5 Block Diagram of the Password-Based Circuit Breaker
3.6 Circuit Diagram of Password-Based Circuit Breaker
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LIST OF TABLES
TABLE PAGE
3.0: ATMEGA2560 Microcontroller Pin Definitions
3
LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE PAGE
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Figure 4.18: Entering OTP and Confirmation (Wi-Fi)
Figure 4.19: Practical Circuit in Detached State
Figure 4.20: Practical Circuit in Coupled State
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 INTRODUCTION
One of the cleanest and most affordable forms of energy for human needs and
commercial purposes is electrical energy. The supply of electricity to various users requires a
wide network of wires and various electrical elements for effective delivery. However, there is a
need for proper monitoring and coordination of electrical energy usage. This is done by
establishing a communication link between maintenance personnel and the substation staff for
switching when the need for maintenance arises and repairs of faulty lines. This, of course, has
become a major concern today because there are times when communication links will be
difficult to establish, thereby creating the need for a more secure and reliable system.
Considering the problem associated with the communication link, a prototype that is password-
based is designed for control of circuit breakers, accessed only by authorized personnel such as
the lineman. The brain of the system is the Atmega 2560 microcontroller, which controls and
In workplaces, workshops, laboratories, etc., the first thing to think of is safety. Over the
decades, a customary cause of death for a lineman has been the mistake of returning loads to the
lines, which is of course due to a lack of communication. To create a safe working environment
for the lineman, there is a need for the lineman to have a secured circuit breaker where only he
has access to the password, and he alone could put loads on the line whenever he is through with
maintenance or repair on the line. In this project, the lineman oversees load switching, whether
to put it on or off. To have access to turn on or off the electrical line, the administrator will have
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to input the preset password.
Just as keeping our environment clean improves our standard of living, the safety of life
is also an important factor to consider at work, at home, or within our environment. In recent
times, statistics have shown that fatal accidents involving linemen have increased; therefore,
providing a safe environment is important so that linemen can stop living in despair or feeling
uneasy each time they work on the line because of the fear of returning loads to the line
accidentally. Therefore, providing a safe working environment for linemen has become
important for electrical distribution companies since a safe working environment encourages
people to focus on their work rather than danger or hazards, thereby reducing loss of life and
improving productivity.
breaker.
1.4.1 OBJECTIVES
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The designed system is an embedded system. The brain of the project is the Arduino Mega 2560
microcontroller. The system comprises various components, which include a 4x3 keypad, an
LCD, relays, and four loads. This system will output the states of loads based on the input it
receives through the keypad. Hence, to obtain an efficient system, the following limitations or
lines due to short circuits and electrical faults. It provides a simple and easy way to help prevent
electrical accidents for linemen while using readily available components, which makes it
economical and easy to implement. The developed system can be used in real-life applications
This project comprises five chapters, which can be said to relay the developmental stages
involved in designing and implementing the system. Chapter One relays the introduction.
Chapter two entails the overall discussion of the literature review and related systems. Chapter
three discusses design methodology. Chapter four comprises results and a discussion of results,
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CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
damaged, whether through overload or short circuits. The purpose of this is to notice faults and
disrupt current flow [1]. A circuit breaker can be reset manually or automatically to resume
normal operating conditions. However, because of manual operation, the accident rate has
increased. Most of these accidents are caused by miscommunication or lack of coordination and
communication between the linemen and the power plant personnel in switching off the circuit
breaker while the maintenance staff are still working on faulty lines, and because electrical
networks experience high current stress in them during a short circuit or electrical breakdown,
this leads to high electrical discharge causing damage or injury to the maintenance personnel,
equipment, and in some cases, death when the load is returned to lines while work is ongoing.
Fortunately, most of these accidents can be prevented with proper coordination between the
linemen and substation staff. Therefore, this project provides a solution to secure and protect the
lineman or maintenance team by not returning loads to electrical lines while the lineman is
working.
In the past, switches and fuses were used for control, but there were drawbacks to using them.
Each time a fuse ruptures, it takes quite a while to replace it. Also, a fuse is designed in such a
way that it cannot interrupt the heavy fault current. It can be concluded that fuses and switches
are low-voltage and small-capacity-specific, whereas lines and equipment operate at very high
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voltage and current. This brought about the need to increase the reliability of means of control as
efficient as those involving circuit breakers. A circuit breaker, in a broad sense, is an equipment
or device that can interrupt or disrupt circuitry activities either by employing a manual method
or an automated method. Because of its capabilities, a circuit breaker becomes a useful device
for switching or protecting various parts of the power system. As mentioned earlier, the circuit
breaker contains a manual or remote control. The latter uses a relay and only functions under
fault conditions.
Some of the basic terminologies used in analyzing circuit breakers are discussed below:
Arc voltage appears during the arcing period whenever there is contact in the circuit breaker.
Restriking voltage appears during the arcing period when the current is close to zero.
Also, the recovery voltage which is the normal frequency that occurs after the arc extinction
Cross-section of the arc is experienced whenever the arc resistance increases, thus, there will
system, each of which has its advantages and disadvantages [2]. Oil circuit breakers use
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insulating oil, which is also used by transformers. When arc heat vaporizes the surrounding oil,
it dissociates it into a large volume of gaseous hydrogen at very high pressure. Oil circuit
breakers are of two types: bulk oil circuit breakers and low oil circuit breakers. The different
types of oil circuit breakers are shown in Figures 2.1 and 2.2 below.
The major advantage of an oil circuit breaker is that it can absorb the arc energy, thereby turning
it into an insulator. It has the major disadvantage of a combustible defect and is also prone to
fire outbreaks.
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Figure 2.2 Low oil circuit breaker
For an air-blast circuit breaker, this uses high-pressure air-blast as an arc extinction method.
The opening of the shut-off valve gives rise to the contacts opening in the flow of air, thereby
increasing the dielectric strength. An advantage of using an air-blast circuit breaker is that it
eliminates the risk of fire, and the arcing products are also completely removed by air blast. The
major disadvantage of this type of breaker is its sensitivity to variations in the rate of rise of the
restriking voltage. There are different types of air blasts based on classification. We have the
axial blast, the cross-blast, and the radial blast. Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) circuit breakers are
made of a gas with the ability to absorb electrons due to its electro-negativity. When SF6 gas is
passed under high pressure, the contacts of the circuit breaker open, allowing an arc to pass
between them. Each time there is a loss of conductive electrons, there is an accumulation of
sufficient insulation strength that quickly extinguishes the arc. The advantage of this type of
breaker is that it has a very high efficiency each time it is used to switch high power and high
voltage. The basic parts of an SF6 circuit breaker are shown in Figure 2.3.
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Figure 2.3 Sulphur Hexafluoride (SF6) Circuit Breaker
In vacuum circuit breakers, the degree of vacuum is in the range of 10-7 to 10-5 torr. This type
of breaker serves as the arc quenching medium. It has the capability of getting rid of arsenic. As
it is known, it is the best insulator ever because of its strength and because it quenches arcs
Many papers in the literature involve the design and construction of electric load-switching gear
that is password-based for the safety of linemen [3]. One of the prototypes is a switch gear that
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works based on a password. The system consists of a 4x4 keyboard, which serves as the input,
and an LCD, which displays information about what is going on in the system. Also, the whole
operation of the various parts is being coordinated by the microcontroller. Although the system is
avoiding accidents that may arise. For the proposed system, whenever the right password is
pressed, the system decides based on the preset data. It can open and close the line, and of
Another proposed system is a password-based circuit breaker [1] that is capable of enforcing
security through the imputation of a password and was aimed at the development of a password-
based circuit to ensure that unauthorized entries are blocked for security purposes. For the circuit
breaker, realization is a result of the response of the software and must be kept in the right
format. The proposed system uses EEPROM for the user to change the password to ensure a
more secure system. One of the recommendations by the author is that the system should be
developed for electrical transmission systems with increased breaking capacity. The system
comprises different components involving 8051 microcontrollers, a 4x3 keypad, and a switch.
Another related work is a distribution panel and circuit breaker, which are password-based. [5].
The brain of the system is the Arduino UNO microcontroller, which is interfaced with a GSM
module. The system also comprises a matrix keypad, a stepper motor, and LED indicators. The
main control of the whole system is done by a mobile phone, which sends an action to the GSM
module, which processes and acts upon the received sequence of instructions based on preset
rules on the microcontroller. This system is focused on the control panel of the distribution
transformer and circuit breaker. The major limitation of the system is that whenever a component
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fails or malfunctions, it leads to an interruption of service. [5].
An OTP-based circuit breaker [7] is a project that is focused on linemen’s safety while working
on a transmission line. The system works in such a way that, as soon as the lineman detects a
fault on the line, an SMS will automatically be sent to the substation, which will then turn the
load off and return it to an ON state when the fault has been fully rectified. This system reduces
Electric lineman safety system works on the concept of OTP.[1]. It has been discovered that most
of the accidents that do occur to linemen are due to a lack of communication and proper
coordination. To avoid accidents like this, it became important to develop a system that is
password-based, to make the system more secure. Each time the user pushes forward a request,
the system automatically generates a one-time trigger that triggers the switches to either an ON
or OFF state. OTP is a major player in this developed system. The generated one-time passwords
mean the password to access the system will always be different for each request. Having the
password is like having the key to a locked door. This will give you access to being able to
This work is centered on making the workplace a safe environment for the linemen since they
work on lines almost all the time. They must be able to feel secure and safe while working online
so that they can have total concentration. However, with a proper communication link established
between the lineman and the load station, the workplace will become safe for the lineman. This
project offers a solution that will keep the lives of linemen safe.
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Electric Lineman Protection Using User-Changeable Password-Based Circuit Breaker Using
Arduino Uno [3]: This project focused basically on how the lineman can be safe from accidents
that may occur due to the sudden return of load to the lines. This type of accident is very
common at power stations. To avoid this kind of accident, a system that can be said to be RFID-
based was built to allay the fear of the sudden deaths of linemen. The system consists of two
parts: the RFID tag and the RFID reader. The RFID reader reads the RFID card and then
generates a password that can be used to trigger the relay to either turn on or turn off the circuit
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CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
3.1 INTRODUCTION
as it has been preset; each time a password is entered using the keypad interfaced with the
system, it performs the braking function. The GSM module is used to send a text message
containing the password to the lineman, and then the relay driver IC is used for the switching
purpose. The Wi-Fi module used in the system allows the information to be monitored online
using a computer or mobile phone. Aside from that, it also makes the information available
The software used in this project is Proteus 8 Professional and the Arduino IDE
(comprising a C compiler). This software was used to carry out the simulation design for the
various modules used in the project, to code the microcontrollers, and to control the GSM
module used in the system design. Their uses are elaborated in the subsequent sections below.
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The Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is the environment for any Arduino
software board. It is an open-source software application that allows users to write and upload
codes in the programming languages Java, C, and C++ within a real-time work environment. It
comes with a very good C language compiler, which was used to write various codes for the
project's transmitting and receiving modules. It ensures that the codes are free from syntax and
logic errors.
3.2.2 PROTEUS
schematics and layouts as regards PCBs and codes, as well as to simulate the schematics. These
running simulations can be interacted with using switches, and they also come with virtual
electronics measurement instruments. This software accepts only hex files. It accepts hex files
from the C compiler and burns them into the microcontroller, which needs to be programmed. In
this design, the Proteus 8 software is used for circuit design and simulation before it is
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Fig 3.1: Design Flowchart of Password-Based Circuit Breaker
3.4 DESIGN HARDWARE REQUIREMENT
This section of the project includes the hardware components required to achieve it. These
3.4.1 ARDUINO:
Arduino is simply a microcontroller board that has some characteristics that are uniquely
defined by its fabrication. It is a flexible device with a relatively small size and is compatible.
The device operates on 5 volts. Arduino boards are often used in many applications, such as
embedded systems, electronic projects, and robotics, which often require automation. The
ATMEGA2560 microcontroller used in this project provided interconnection with the GSM
module, the relay driver IC, the matrix keypad, and other components mentioned in the later
phase of this chapter via its digital and analog pins. How this connection was implemented will
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Fig. 3.2 ATMEGA2560 Microcontroller.
Level
1 GND Grounding of - - -
power supply
power voltage
Transmitting
conversion
with external
reference
voltage
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6 EEPROM Read and write - - -
Liquid Crystal Display, commonly known as LCD, is a combination of two states of matter
having the characteristics of liquid and solid. Generally, this device is used to display a limited
set of input statements. The available segments as of now are the 16x2 and 16x4 LCDs. In this
project, we used a 16x2 LCD to display different information to the operator. Using pins 11, 12,
13, and 14, connected to digital pins 8, 9, 10, and 11 of the Arduino board.
3.4.3 Relay
A relay is simply an electromagnetic device that can isolate two or more circuits connected
electrically from circuits that are connected magnetically. It works in such a way that it allows a
single circuit to switch to another without linkage. An IC that finds its way in when there is a
desire for a low-voltage circuit to switch lighting points is known as a relay driver IC. Relays
possess some distinctive characteristics that allow them to be replaced easily with solid-state
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Figure. 3.4 Relay
A keypad, which can be virtual or physical, is a set of different keys or buttons that are
arranged in a block or pad, and usually, it is alphanumeric with different sets of characters
arranged to complete the set. If it contains numbers, then it is a numeric keypad. A keypad is an
input device that allows datasets to be input into the system, but often, it is used to input a PIN or
password. Suppose a key in row 1 is punched; the corresponding column 1 will give a low. This
The GSM module is used in this project and is well-interfaced with the microcontroller in such a way
that it sends the randomly generated OTP. Without the OTP, the device cannot be operated. Although
the microcontroller is the brain of the system, it also helps in generating OTP sent by the GSM
module. This system is built around the Atmega 32, which is an 8-bit microcontroller with 32 KB of
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programmable flash memory. The shell of the microcontroller generates the OTP based on the
electrically from circuits that are connected magnetically. It works in such a way that it allows a
single circuit to switch to another without linkage. An IC that finds its way in when there is a
desire for a low-voltage circuit to switch lighting points is known as a relay driver IC. Relays
possess some distinctive characteristics that allow them to be replaced easily with solid-state
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3.5 BLOCK DIAGRAM OF THE PASSWORD-BASED CIRCUIT BREAKER.
F
igure 3.8 Block Diagram
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CHAPTER FOUR
In this chapter, a summary of the processes involved in the hardware and software is
A circuit breaker that, based on a password, contains an LCD screen and keypad, four
relays with four loads, and a GSM module were collected and installed as described below: The
program for the circuit breaker password was written on Arduino software, and a hex file was
created. The code shown in the appendix is uploaded with the help of a USB cable from the
Arduino application to the Arduino board, and the diagram is connected as shown in Figure 4-1.
The following diagrams show various step-by-step operations of this system, as well as
how the web page works and how OTP is generated. All the displays on the LCD are already
STEP 1: Power on the system. The LCDs have a welcome screen (Figs. 4.1 and 4.2 show
the initialization status of the system). Once this is successfully done,
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Fig 4.1 Fig 4.2
Next, the LCD will display the status of the four loads connected to the system “A(OFF),
STEP 2: From the keypad, to turn ON or OFF any of the lines (B, C or D) select A and the
message on the LCDs “Select device A, B, C, D?”, If your choice is to turn off load B, Select B
then the LCDs a request for a phone number (phone number that is available to receive an OTP
which will be used as the password). Fig. 4.5 and 4.6 shows the explanation above.
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Figure 4.5 Figure 4.6
STEP 3: Using the keypad, the lineman’s phone number is typed in, and the LCD will display
“OTP sent.” The OTP will be sent to the number at which the dialogue box will be displayed by
the LCD to input the OTP received. Note: Entering more than one phone number at a time is not
allowed, and mistakes in typing can be cleared using the “#” button. Figs. 4.7 and 4.8 show the
explanation above.
STEP 4: Enter the OTP received and press “A” to enter or “B” to cancel. This is shown in Fig
4.9 below.
Figure 4.9
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Once the steps above have been completed, the message that will be displayed on the LCD is "A
(off), B (off), C (on), and D (on)." Figs. 4.10 and 4.11 show the complete process.
NOTE: By pressing the same button again, the load can be turned back ON using the same OTP.
STEP 1: Once the system is turned on, a Wi-Fi access point is automatically created (i.e., it
creates a hotspot). Switch on the Wi-Fi feature on your mobile phone or computer. The
devices with their Wi-Fi feature turned on will detect the hotspot of the system named
“fawaizzat line” and will also request a password to connect to the hotspot. This is so that
unauthorized connections are not created. Figs. 4.12 and 4.13 show this process.
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STEP 2: After connecting your mobile or computer to the Wi-Fi network “fawaizzah line”
Select and open your preferred web browser on your device (device connecting to the host
Figure 4.14
STEP 3: Enter the following IP address: “192.168.4.1” and load the web page, this webpage
shows the status of loads connected to the system. Fig 4.15 shows this explanation
Figure 4.15
STEP 4: To turn OFF or ON any of the lines, click on the toggle which will display a
dialogue box requesting a phone number (i.e., the desired phone number to receive the OTP)
which will be the password to be used. This is shown in Fig 4.16 and Fig 4.17.
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Figure 4.16 Figure 4.17
STEP 5: Input the OTP sent, and this procedure turns off the load on the system. Shown in Fig
From the image demonstrations above, this project was a huge success. During testing this
result, many problems were encountered when using the GSM and Wi-Fi modules to operate the
system. In using the GSM, getting the GSM module to send a generated OTP and establish
communication between itself and the lineman was a very big issue. It was later found out that it
was network-dependent, i.e., it requires a strong network signal before communication can be
established for it to send the OTP generated. A major issue faced with the Wi-Fi was getting the
Wi-Fi to keep the access point created discoverable and connectable to various devices without
going off and on. It was later discovered that it was a connection issue with the power supply.
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This issue was solved after a long, monotonous, but careful process of connecting the board
Figure 4.19 and 4.20 shows the practical circuit of the password circuit breaker in detached and
coupled state.
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CHAPTER FIVE
5.1 CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the above discussion shows that secure and reliable protection has been
achieved for linemen, thereby decreasing the rate of lineman accidents that occur due to a
lack of communication. For this problem, the solution is based on using a password to switch
the line. The main issue is not turning off the circuit breaker; the issue lies in turning on the
circuit breaker while the lineman is performing a task on this line, which in turn may cause a
fire outbreak, blast, or burning. We also cannot ignore the damage that may be caused by
burning the station, leading to financial losses. The manual part of this system is using the
keypad to enter the password, which will appear on the LCD screen as a visual aid to be sure
about what is being entered when typing the OTP generated. The password will be generated
by the Arduino Mega and stored on its EEPROM, which will be sent to any desired mobile
number inputted by the lineman using the GSM, and the output is to rotate a motor that
separates a moving contact and breaks the circuit. Therefore, proactive safety has been
provided to the lineman because the moving contact will not move unless the same password
that has been sent to the lineman's mobile is entered. By using wireless network technology,
i.e., Wi-Fi, an extra feature has been added that allows the lineman to access the system from
his mobile phone or computer with the same amount of security as using.
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5.2 RECOMMENDATION
We recommend that further work be carried out in developing and improving this project, as
some obstacles have appeared in its implementation. Some of which have been resolved, and
little of it remains, therefore leaving a lot of space for further improvement. The wireless
network (Wi-Fi) should be further worked on to increase the speed of connection so that the
system can be connected from a farther distance than the substation. Also, the system should be
developed in a way that it can be connected to a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
troubleshooting and pin-point fault location directly by the lineman and can easily rectify it, or
use a Digital Control System (DCS) to monitor incoming messages in switching cases.
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