DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AN AUTO-TEMP CONTROL SYSTEM FOR DISTRIBUTION TRANSFORMER

Abstract

Unreliability and interruptions facing power supply are evidence of the excessive heat generated in power systems, as a result of the inefficiency of oil cooling medium employed in distribution transformers. The design and implementation of a prototype automatic temperature control system is to be employed as a method towards solving the above stated problem of excessive temperature rise in distribution transformers. The prototype design consists of a PIC microcontroller programmed in C language, an LM35 temperature sensor, an electric fan and other diverse electronic component. It operates a mechanism that detects temperature rise in the transformer and automatically turns on the cooling fan at extreme temperature conditions. A 16x2 LCD is employed as the medium for temperature display unit of the transformer. The resulting prototype functions in a way that it has the ability to detect every 1ºC rise and reduction in the temperature of the transformer. Thus, at extreme temperature conditions, the automatic temperature control system diminishes the excessive heat generated in the transformer to the appropriate working temperature condition. Orjiewulu, J. C. | Department of Electrical Electronics Engineering, University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.