Sudha Ramasamy

Development of ARM processor based electricity theft control system using GSM network

Electricity theft is a common practice in developing countries which cannot be controlled by the governments due to lack of technology. Emerging trends such as Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) eliminate the need of person visiting each house but this advancement further increases Non-Technical losses (NTL) because of no regular inspection at the residence. However traditional meter reading by human operator is inefficient to meet the future residential development needs. This paper proposes a new system based on ARM-Cortex M3 processor to protect the energy meter from phase line bypassing, neutral line disconnection, whole meter bypassing and meter tampering. A SMS automatically send to utility server through Global System for Mobile (GSM) network when these measures detected. In this paper a novel method is proposed to solve the problem with AMR systems without affecting its major advantage of remote monitoring. Integrating this new feature into smart meters provides a robust metering solution.

A novel and pedagogical approach to teach PID controller with LabVIEW signal express

A novel and Pedagogical approach for teaching the PID controller and its tuning parameters to the students and trainee engineers working in Control and Automation Engineering is presented. In short, a trainer/simulator for Proportional- Integral-Derivative Controller is developed. A third order system (Transfer Function) was used. However, there is no limiting factor in using the higher order system in the simulator. Ziegler- Nichols tuning method was used to obtain the optimum or initial values of the PID Controller. LabVIEW Signal Express software developed by NI was used. In specific, the control & design kit module was used. Graphical Interface along with the tuning knobs of the three term controller was highly helpful in finalizing the PID Parameters.

Study on Fuzzy Logic and PID Controller for temperature regulation of a system with time delay

Temperature plays an important role in determining the efficiency of any industrial process. Taking into consideration the demand for energy efficient and conservative system the industries are looking forward to implement the new systems to control the process. Fuzzy logic and PID are the most recognized approaches taken to effectively control the process. FLC system is gaining momentum as an alternative to replace current Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) controllers, as PID constants are incorrect at times due to the lack of understanding of the temperature control process and its parametric changes making the system complex. Therefore in order to reduce the complexity of the system and to solve the problems related to temperature control process based on known and unknown parameters such as dead zone saturation and hysteresis, a unique FLC system using direct implementation involving less number of rules is proposed to be developed. In this paper we try to establish the performance levels of PID controller and Fuzzy Logic Controllers (FLC) for the same system. FLC is implemented using a smaller rule set and PID Controller is tuned and the parameters are calculated using the Ziegler Nichols method. The study is conducted using the help of MATLAB Simulink Software.

Wearable sensors for ECG measurement: a review

Purpose Recent developments in wearable technologies have paved the way for continuous monitoring of the electrocardiogram (ECG) signal, without the need for any laboratory settings. A number of wearable sensors ranging from wet electrode sensors to dry sensors, textile-based sensors, knitted integrated sensors (KIS) and planar fashionable circuit boards are used in ECG measurement. The purpose of this study is to carry out a comparative study of the different sensors used for ECG measurements. The current challenges faced in developing wearable ECG sensors are also reviewed. Design/methodology/approach This study carries out a comparative analysis of different wearable ECG sensors on the basis of four important aspects: materials and methods used to develop the sensors, working principle, implementation and performance. Each of the aspects has been reviewed with regard to the main types of wearable ECG sensors available. Findings A comparative study of the sensors helps understand the differences in their operating principles. While some sensors may have a higher efficiency, the others might ensure more user comfort. It is important to strike the right balance between the various aspects influencing the sensor performance. Originality/value Wearable ECG sensors have revolutionized the world of ambulatory ECG monitoring and helped in the treatment of many cardiovascular diseases. A comparative study of the available technologies will help both doctors and researchers gain an understanding of the shortcomings in the existing systems.

LQR PI Controller Design for First-Order Time-Delay Systems

In this paper, a linear quadratic regulator-based PI controller is designed to control the first-order time-delay systems. In most of the linear systems, the time delay is commonly found and this delay causes the performance of the system to deteriorate. So to achieve the good performance having delay, need to find the optimal PI controller gains. For this purpose, in this paper PI controller gains are find out by using the LQR, it gives the optimal gain values. In the design of LQR-based PI controller, the selection of Q matrices plays a vital role. So a skew symmetric matrix-based feedback gain matrix is used in selection of Q matrices. The proposed method is validated through various simulation examples. The results are compared to other existing techniques to show the better performance of the proposed method.

PLC-Based Modeling and Control of Heat Exchanger

In this paper transfer function of a heat exchanger is implemented in MATLAB and is controlled by a PID controller. The controller is implemented in PLC (S7-1200). They both are interfaced using Arduino. The advantage of this method is that without having the actual plant, its response can be studied if the transfer function of a system is available. We have used Arduino Uno for interfacing PLC with MATLAB. The response of the system for three set points was noted. This project also shows that even though Arduino can be used for interfacing, the maximum output voltage of 5 V becomes the limitations. Transfer function of Heat exchanger is used in the recovery of soda in a paper pulp industry.

Design and Implementation of Solar-Powered Low-Cost Model for Greenhouse System

In the recent scenario, monitoring the greenhouse automatically with solar energy is the need of the hour due to power constraints and climatic change. The proposed system introduces a new technique for monitoring and controlling the greenhouse environment. This paper focuses on low-cost sensor modules for Arduino microcontroller. We are measuring three sensing parameters like humidity, temperature and soil moisture and displaying the current environment scenario on the LCD screen. These physical parameters are continuously monitored, based on the requirement the actuators are controlled like natural heating unit, cooler and sprinkler. These actuators are driven by microcontrollers through a relay. We have implemented an effective power management unit which is driven by solar power. Proposed system has an extra feature of detecting animal intrusion system, and its implementation is done in small scale.

LQR based PI plus PD controller to control the Non-linear process

In this article the controller architecture of Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) based PI plus PD controller is designed and implemented for the level control in the conical tank. The proposed controller have a linear quadratic regulator to tune the gain parameters kp, ki and kd. The time domain specifications, Integral Absolute Error (IAE) and Integral Square Error (ISE) of level control of nonlinear process obtained using proposed LQR based PI plus PD controller. It is compared with the response obtained with LQR PI controller. The set point tracking experimentation was done with promising results for proposed LQR based PI plus PD controller. The design of proposed controller is very simple and it is effective with very low settling time, IAE and ISE.

Hybrid fuzzy-ZN PID control based grid interfaced distribution level renewable energy source with power quality

The power quality of interconnected grid is highly affected by the non linear loads and the interconnected renewable energy sources like wind and solar systems. The drastic changes in their input effectively change the grid parameters. This paper provides a novel method in which compensator continuously monitors the line parameters like voltage, currents, harmonics and reactive power to maintain the desired values at common connecting line (CCL). This paper utilizes the capabilities of hybrid Fuzzy and ZN PID Controlling of Dynamic Active Power Filter (DAPF) along with the Energy storage at dc link. The proposed model simulated in MATLAB/SIMULINK and at the grid common connecting line, the power factor and Total Harmonic Distortion values are much improved.

A review on non-destructive methods for the measurement of moisture contents in food items

Moisture content [MC] in food items should be tracked at right time with high precision as it is important for processing and storage of food items. Moisture content in some of the food grains has to be reduced to avoid its damage. In this paper we go through different techniques used to measure MC in different food grains. There are destructive and non-destructive methods to measure MC. In destructive method peanuts or samples have to be cleaned and shells are removed, so that this method is time consuming and samples are wasted. In this paper we study different non-destructive technique, to measure moisture content in which grains or food items can be directly used without any process like cleaning or crushing. Time taken to measure moisture content using this method is less.