International Journal of Electrical Engineering & Technology (IJEET)
Volume 11, Issue 2, March – April 2020, pp. 54-61, Article ID: IJEET_11_02_007
Available online at http://www.iaeme.com/IJEET/issues.asp?JType=IJEET&VType=11&IType=2
ISSN Print: 0976-6545 and ISSN Online: 0976-6553
Journal Impact Factor (2020): 10.1935 (Calculated by GISI) www.jifactor.com
© IAEME Publication
SMART FAULT DETECTION IN DISTRIBUTION
SYSTEM
Kurien Raju
B.Tech students, Electrical and electronics engineering, Musaliar College of engineering
And technology Pathanamthitta
Neel Rajan
B.Tech students, Electrical and electronics engineering, Musaliar College of engineering
And technology Pathanamthitta
Sneha Mariam John
B.Tech students, Electrical and electronics engineering, Musaliar College of engineering
And technology Pathanamthitta
Arathi R Kumar
B.Tech students, Electrical and electronics engineering, Musaliar College of engineering
And technology Pathanamthitta
Blessy A Rahiman
Professor, Electrical and electronics engineering, Musaliar College of engineering
And technology Pathanamthitta
Sreerenjini K
Professor, Electrical and electronics engineering, Musaliar College of engineering and
technology Pathanamthitta
ABSTRACT:Distance relay is mainly used for fault detection in the power system. But it cannot
be used below 11kV. Hence an electronic smart energy meter is developed for the
detection of the fault in the distribution system. It consists of a fault detection circuit
and an IoT module. The fault detector senses the presence of a fault and give a command
signal to the circuit breaker and also passes these fault signal to the operator. This
proposed system will be a perfect solution for three major challenges faced in the
distribution sector such as automatic fault isolation, information about the fault to the
operator and exact location of the fault. The energy meter is capable of displaying the
cost of the unit consumed according to their tariff. The variation in tariff can be
controlled by an operator using IoT. The initial cost of the proposed system is
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Kurien Raju, Neel Rajan, Sneha Mariam John, Arathi R Kumar, Blessy A Rahiman and
Sreerenjini K
comparatively higher than the traditional system. As a long term consideration, the cost
of installation can be compensated by reducing the wastage of energy by making the
consumer aware of the consumption details.
Keywords: -Relay, Smart energy meter, Fault, IoT, Tariff
Cite this Article: Kurien Raju, Neel Rajan, Sneha Mariam John, Arathi R Kumar,
Blessy A Rahiman and Sreerenjini K, Smart Fault Detection in Distribution System,
International Journal of Electrical Engineering & Technology, 11(2), 2020, pp. 54-61.
http://www.iaeme.com/IJEET/issues.asp?JType=IJEET&VType=11&IType=2
1. INTRODUCTION
The concept of the smart energy meter is in a developing stage. If the protection of lines can be
integrated with a smart meter by utilizing the facilities on energy meter, the overall cost can be
reduced. The protection of the distribution system is too much weak in our power system due
to economic reasons. Due to the inefficiency of real-time fault identification and isolation,
severe accidents are reporting. About 80% of fault is occurred in transmission lines [2]. Hence
proper protective measures at proper time are essential for safe operation. The fault may occur
due to various factors such as lightning, breaking of lines, overloading, load removal, etc... In
the present situation, the detection of fault and fault location in the distribution system is a
difficult task. By the successful implementation of this project, these challenges can be avoided.
2. OBJECTIVE
To control and protect the entire the power system from sever parameter variation which leads
to electrocution and harm effects on livestock, a continuous monitoring system is essential to
provide appropriate protective measure Thus a technology which is capable to monitor the
system in 24*7 hours and provide suitable protective measure at affordable rate and to classify
each fault is required. Under the normal operating condition, the values of voltage, current,
frequency are at a nominal value. Whenever a fault occurs the values of each parameter will vary
from their nominal values. The variation of voltage in the line can be detected from the voltage
sensing element placed in the energy meter. By utilizing the voltage sensing element the fault can
be detected. The smart meter should require connectivity. Because the energy meter is connected
parallel to the line. By utilizing this connectivity the fault information can be transferred. Thus the
protection of the distribution line can also be achieved with e-billing by replacing ordinary energy
meter with a smart energy meter. In the present scenario, various types of relays are used for fault
detection.
The internet of things (IoT) can interrelate computing devices, mechanical systems, digital
machines and people that are provided with unique identifiers (UIDs) and can able to transfer
data over a network without requiring human to human or human to computer interaction. IoT
system can be integrated with SCADA. GSM or any other local connectivity system can be
used for interconnection. Global system for mobile communication (GSM) can access any over
the world. 2G spectrum is readily available in most parts. With the help of a microcontroller for
analysis in accordance with a GSM connectivity that can be effectively used for fault detection
and its classification, the power system is monitored by a centralized control system that is
interconnected by wireless technology called GSM. The system will detect the fault and give
corresponding instructions to the operator and the circuit breaker to isolate the circuit. It helps
the operator to take a sudden decision.
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Smart Fault Detection in Distribution System
3. METHODOLOGY
Figure 1 Representation of fault detection
Consider 4 consumers H1, H2, H3, and H4 are connected in a transmission line. When a
fault is occurred in between H2 and H3, then H1, H2 have supply and H3, H4 will have a
blackout. This condition is used to detect the fault, without using any additional element. Since
the energy meter connection is parallel to the supply, the voltage sensing element placed inside
the energy meter can sense the power line voltage. Hence the variation in the level of voltage
can be directly sensed by the voltage sensing element placed in the energy meter itself without
using additional voltage sensors. Assume a broken power line after H2, then the voltage after
H3 approaches to zero. By sensing the voltage degradation, a fault signal is generated to operate
the circuit breaker with the help of a microcontroller. An IoT device is attached to the system
in order to transmit the fault signal during the occurrence of the fault. Whenever a fault occurs
in the transmission line a fault signal is generated and it is transmitted to the microcontroller of
the circuit breaker segment. A monitoring system is placed on each cloud to monitor each zone.
Whenever a fault (breaking of lines) occurs the energy meter sends a signal to the monitoring
circuit and the monitoring circuit gives the instruction to the circuit breaker to open the circuit.
At the same time, a signal is given to the operator about the fault. By tracing the consumer id,
the exact location of the fault can be detected.
The detection system consists of a microcontroller in order to upgrade the ordinary
electronic energy meter to a smart energy meter. The value of electrical parameters will be
obtained from conventional energy meter. The microcontroller attached to the energy meter
will read these values and connect the system with IoT during the occurrence of the fault. The
system can display the power conception according to the tariff on its display section. Adapter
or an external battery. "Uno" means one in Italian. The reference versions of the Arduino are the
Arduino UNO board and the Arduino software version 1.0 and it is now evolved to newer versions.
The UNO board which is the reference for the Arduino platform is the first in a series of USB
ARDUINO boards. The Arduino UNO can be powered in two ways, (i.e.) by connecting it by means
of USB or by an externally supplied power. The power source can be selected automatically. [6]
4. IMPLEMENTATION
4.1. Components





Arduino UNO
Energy Meter
Voltage sensor
Node MCU
LCD Display
5. HARDWARE DESCRIPTION
Arduino UNO: The Arduino is an open-source platform used for programming and
construction of the electronic device. The version of the board used is ATmega328P. It consists
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Kurien Raju, Neel Rajan, Sneha Mariam John, Arathi R Kumar, Blessy A Rahiman and
Sreerenjini K
of 14 digital input pins and the number of output pins out of which 6 pins are configured as
PWM outputs. And also it contains 6 inputs pins which are analog, 16 MHz quartz crystal, USB
connection, a power jack, an ICSP header, and a reset button. It consists of everything that is
needed to support the microcontroller, to start the microcontroller, it should be connected to a
computer using a USB cable or it is powered by means of an AC-to DC
Figure 2 Arduino Board [6]
To power the Arduino by means of the adapter, it should be plugged to a center-positive
plug which is around 2.1 mm length into the board's power jack. To power it using a battery,
the leads from it should be connected to the GND and pin headers of VIN to the power
connector. The supply of 6-20 volts is required to operate the board.
Voltage sensor: A voltage sensor is a device that is used to monitor the amount of voltage
in an electronic device. It can be used to determine both the AC and DC voltage level. The input
of this sensor can be the voltage whereas the output is the switches, analog voltage signal, a
current signal, an audible signal, etc. Sensors are a device that can sense or identify and react
to certain types of electrical or some optical signals. Implementation of the voltage sensor and
current sensor techniques have become an excellent choice for the conventional current and
voltage measurement methods. In this system, the voltage sensor is used to detect the variation
in the voltage level to determine whether the fault has occurred or not. The voltage sensor
monitors these voltage levels and sends the signal to the Arduino for further processing.
LCD Display: Many devices are made up of Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) like
computers, digital watches and also DVD and CD players which are most common in day to
day life. In the screen industry, it is used as a replacement for Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT) as
CRT draws more power and it is also heavier and bigger. The displays of LCDs are thinner than
CRTs. LCD works on the basic principle of blocking light rather than dissipating so the power
consumption is lesser in LCD when compared to LED. The LCDs are the combination of solid
and liquid. They have both properties and maintains concerning one another. Solids maintain
their state whereas liquids change its orientation and move everywhere in the particular liquid.
Further studies show that liquid crystal materials show more of a liquid state than that of a solidstate. The liquid crystals are more heat sensitive than usual liquids. The liquid crystal can be
easily get turned into a liquid with only a little amount of heat. This is the reason why liquid
crystals are also used to make a thermometer.
Node MCU: Node MCU is an open-source IoT platform that is used to transmit and receive
data between different IoT devices.
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Smart Fault Detection in Distribution System
Figure. 3 NodeMCU [7]
7. BLOCK DIAGRAM
The proposed system consists of Arduino UNO, Energy Meter, Voltage Sensor, LCD Display,
and a Node MCU unit. Energy meter plays another important role in this system and it is used
for a live reading of electricity consumption that is interfaced with the controller to
communicate with the consumer, which is displayed over the LCD.
Figure.4 block diagram
Arduino UNO is controlling part of this smart energy meter Arduino Uno act as the main
controller, and it continuously monitors the energy meter. The Arduino is provided with the
External Power Supply. Based on the blinking of LED on energy meter, the Arduino will measure
the unit consumption. The measured reading and the cost will be displayed on the LCD and the
amount of energy consumed. The voltage sensor which is interfaced with these Arduino is used to
detect the fault in the distribution system, the voltage sensor continuously monitors the supply
voltage and provides these values to the Arduino UNO. The Arduino compares these values with
the preset value and whenever the supply voltage drops beyond these preset values Arduino
provides a fault signal to the Node MCU microcontroller, which is an opensource IoT platform.
The Node MCU transmits these signals to the monitoring unit and also to the Circuit Breaker unit.
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Kurien Raju, Neel Rajan, Sneha Mariam John, Arathi R Kumar, Blessy A Rahiman and
Sreerenjini K
These systems also provide isolation of supply if there is a due in bill occurs. If the bill is
not paid within a given time, the supply will be automatically disconnected. The value displayed
on the energy meter will automatically reset when the bill is paid
8. FLOW CHART FAULT DETECTION.
The variable ‘y’ represents a minimum value when the supply is lost due to the breaking of
transmission lines. The system compares the measured value with the value stored in ‘y’. If the
measured value goes down the reference value, a fault signal will be sent to the circuit breaker
and the operator. Else the process continues. ‘i’ and ‘j’ are another two variable which
represents a safe range of voltage. If the line voltage exceeds or reduces a particular limit, a
warning signal will be generated to notify the operator.
Figure 5 flow chart for fault detection
8.1. E-billing and automatic disconnection
The cost of energy consumed according to the tariff will display on the energy meter. The tariff
value can be controlled by an operator. Thus the real-time cost is displayed on the led display.
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If the bill is not paid within a given time, the supply will be automatically disconnect. The value
displayed on the energy meter will be automatically reset when the bill is paid
Figure 6. flow chart for billing
9. CONCLUSION
The major objectives of this project are the automation of the distribution system by automatic
fault detection & e-billing using a single device. The automatic fault detection helps the
operator to identify, localize and isolate at the reduction of the instant results in electrical
hazards. This method does not require any CT, PT or any other measuring instrument for fault
detection so it is much economic than conventional method. E-billing methods pave ways for
energy management technique. It aware the consumer about consumption with their tariff rate.
This project helps to create new methods in the power sector technically and economically.
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Sharmili W. Drugkar , Krishna R,Bhagyashree Gadekar “Transmission line fault detection
using GSM technology” International Conference on Emanations in Modern Engineering
Science & Management (ICEMESM-2018 )
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Sreerenjini K
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