Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India
Online published on 15 May, 2014.
Utility substations represent a critical environment, requiring precise, real-time monitoring to ensure reliable and better performance of the system. Advances in Wireless Sensor Network technology provides an important new option, enabling a cost-effective, reliable and above all, real time remote monitoring platform to ensure that substation equipments are kept at optimum performance levels. Design and implementation detail of a substation monitoring system using wireless sensor modules is presented in this paper. Each sensor node uses a programmable wireless sensor module consisting of a micro controller, ADC and wireless communication chip (following standard IEEE 802.15.4 protocol). Different algorithms for measuring voltage, current and power are experimented on these modules and based on the accuracy and required computation power, the optimal one is chosen for implementation. The major advantage of using the wireless sensor module for substation monitoring is that the sensor modules can be placed outside in the field near to the CT/PT for obtaining the monitoring signals and then all the data may be collected through wireless communication at the station control room. Therefore, very little wiring, ducting and time is required to implement this wireless substation monitoring system. The presented approach is successfully implemented in 220 kV Burnpur, West Bengal Substation of DVC in India.
