Professional Documents
Culture Documents
SEPTEMBER 2012
I. INTRODUCTION
(a)
Generator ON/STOP
ON
Power Outlet
Voltmeter
STOP
OFF
(Spring Loaded)
(b)
Fig. 1. (a) Photograph of Manual ON/OFF Panel for a typical household
generator (b) Block Diagram of the manual front Panel and Identification of
Components
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Generator
1
2
Load
Grid
SEPTEMBER 2012
5
6
DPDT Switch
220VAC LED
220V AC from
Grid
Grid
Grid Voltage
Voltage
Sensing
Sensing
Battery 12V DC
220V AC from
Generator
Generator
Generator
ON/STOP
ON/STOP
Relay
Relay
To Generator
ON/STOP Button
Auto
Auto Start
Start
Circuit
Circuit
To Generator
Self-Start Switch
Auto
Auto Transfer
Transfer
Switch
Switch
220V AC to Load
90
220V AC Grid
Bridge
Bridge
Rectifier
Rectifier
Filter
Filter
SEPTEMBER 2012
12V DC Grid
12V DC Grid
Relay Contacts
Grid Power On
Generator On
Generator Stop
12V
0V
Close
Open
Capacitor
1000uF
12V DC Grid
220V AC Grid
Capacitor
0.1uF
Filter
To Terminal 1
Wires Connected
Parallel to the
Self-Start Switch
12V DC Grid
NO
NC
Relay 1
To Terminal 2
NC
NC
12V DC Grid
NC
Path is Closed
w hen Grid
Pow er Fails
Battery
12V DC
NC
Relay 2 f or Timer Coil
+
12V DC Grid
Fig. 8. Schematic of Auto Start Circuit Connected in Series with the Self
Start Switch
To Terminal 1
SPDT Relay
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SEPTEMBER 2012
Grid Power On
12V
0V
Close
Open
Relay 2 Contacts Close
Open
Timer Contacts
Close
0-10 Sec
Open
Close
Self-Start Path
Open
Self-Start Motor
Engaged
Grid Wire 1
Grid Wire 2
Load Wire 1
Generator Wire 1
Generator Wire 2
220V AC to Load
Load Wire 2
~
~
III. RESULTS
The automatic controller was successfully implemented and
tested. The photograph of the implemented system is shown in
Fig. 11, 12 and 13.
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SEPTEMBER 2012
IV. CONCLUSION
The manual start/stop and load transfer panel on the
generator can still be used after the addition of the automatic
controller. There is no feedback in the circuit to sense whether
the generator has started. It only engages the self-start motor
once at the start of the power failure and does not bother to
retry if the generator does not start in the first try. This is one
of the possible improvements in the controller. The total cost
of the controller is very low as no programmable component is
used. The reliability of the controller is also very high due to
the small number of components used in the circuit. The
controller also takes very small time to put together and install
on a household generator. The circuit is ideal for the countries
with high rate of grid power failures.
REFERENCES
This work is solely based on the technical knowledge of authors and involves
successful hardware implementation of an Auto Transfer Switch. The
software used for circuit designing is OrCAD.
Abdul Afram attained his degree of Bachelor of Mechatronics Engineering
from National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Pakistan with
Honors in 2003. He worked as a Design Engineer (Electronics) at RWR (Pvt.)
Ltd. Pakistan for 3 years. For his Masters in Mechatronics Engineering, he
joined Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwang-ju,
South Korea in 2007. In 2009 he joined the Department of Electrical
Engineering as a Lecturer at NUST School of Electrical Engineering and
Computer Science (SEECS), Islamabad, Pakistan. In 2012, he started PhD in
the Robotics, Mechatronics and Automation Lab (RMAL), Department of
Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Ryerson University, Toronto,
Canada. His area of interest involves intelligent system design, Robotics,
electromechanical Systems and control systems.
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