Design of Smart Microgrid Prototype using SCADA And PLC with IoT Based Monitoring

The project is an idea to promote Smart Microgrid with its all applications from domestic, industrial, commercial to Power systems and infrastructure of a town, city or region. It is clearly giving an idea to bring a revolutionary change in power infrastructure of a country. Promoting the concept of

Project Title

Design of Smart Microgrid Prototype using SCADA And PLC with IoT Based Monitoring

Project Area of Specialization

Electrical/Electronic Engineering

Project Summary

The project is an idea to promote Smart Microgrid with its all applications from domestic, industrial, commercial to Power systems and infrastructure of a town, city or region. It is clearly giving an idea to bring a revolutionary change in power infrastructure of a country. Promoting the concept of Distributed Generations and Renewable sources to be utilized more and more keeping in view the current situation of power sector problems in Pakistan.

Microgrid although not a very new idea but still a hot concept to research and promote about. The idea of choosing Microgrid for Final Year Project was developed is the current Electricity crises, its management and distribution situation in Pakistan, the old and aging infrastructure of Transmission lines, the unjustified distribution of energy and its Demand of fast-growing urban population as well as industry, potential Pakistan has in producing much more  Renewable energy resources. And the awareness regarding Governmental policies and initiatives of implementing Microgrid. A Microgrid is a small Power System that is restricted to operate within some locality or geographical area. This small power system is capable to operate either on-grid mode or off-grid mode as per the requirement. It can run on-grid & off-grid mode, smart load management, monitoring, remote controlling and fault detection, etc

Project Objectives

• The main objective of this research and a prototype model is to present the concept of Microgrid.
• To promote Microgrid and acknowledge the advantages and solutions of many technical & non-technical issues of Power Distribution as well as Generation.

• Encourage companies and other concerned authorities of the power sector to invest more and more to install such Distributed Generation units.

• The use of renewable energy in Microgrid will be resulting avoid Carbon emissions and reducing Environmental Pollution.

• This effort of Designing and Presenting a Microgrid will hopefully have some impact on the Government/Authorities to consider it and Restructure the Power System in Pakistan.  

• To prevent power outages with Smart Switching and overloading capacity.

• To provide low-cost cheap electricity to consumers.

Project Implementation Method

In this prototype model, we have used a 3-phase supply and looped it together to make three different sources. One is the main grid source while the two others are WT and PV just in order to present the Distributed Generations and main grid as well.

The main objective of this prototype is just to present the concept of DG and both the modes of MG and how they can be integrated and utilized either on-grid mode or off-grid mode.

The PLC is used to program its intelligence. The system itself checks, processes, and decides the action and commands the devices to operate. The sensors are giving commands to the controller and then the controller decides how to react according to its internal programmed intelligence  

The Microgrid is designed to operate in autonomous/Islanded mode by default.

From Start, the system will check the Parameters of all incoming sources. And then operate as follows;

Case 01-All RES Available

If both the RES (PV/WT) are present and Voltage levels are as per standard and stable, then Grid will automatically connect loads.

Case 02–Only one RES Available

If only one RES available in MG the capacity of supply power to loads will be lower, the MG will maintain Critical load only and automatically shut down the rest of the loads.

Case 03-Both DG not Available

When both of the DG is not available, the MG will connect automatically to the main Grid. This will turn the MG to Grid-connected mode. In this mode, all the feeders will start connecting.

Case 04–Fault Occurrence Load Side

The protection at the load side is designed that if any feeder experiences overload or any type of fault, the MG will shut down the feeder and isolate it. In this case, a Spare Feeder can be utilized for back-feeding manually.

Controlling Method

• A single-phase 220VAC line from each source is incoming and a light indicator is used to indicate source presence.
• This 220VAC line then connects to the 8-pin DPDT relay’s coil between Pin No. 2 & 7
• The 24VDC supply at Pin No. 1 is common and signals to PLC digital Input.
• The digital Output of PLC is signaling the Relay Module
• The Relay Module is powered externally at 5VDC.
• The relay module’s coil operates with an output signal of PLC.
• The normally open point of 5VDC incoming 220VAC and normally closed point outgoing to light indicator and normally open point of 8-pin DPDT relay.
• DPDT Relay then signals to the Magnetic contactor’s coil and hence the 3-phase contactor allows the power to connect/disconnect with the Bus bar.

IoT Automation using ESP8266 Web Server

In this project, we have used a Local Web Server. The Wi-Fi Module NodeMCU ESP8266 will receive commands from the Web Page.

A laptop or Mobile device will access the web server through the same internet by which NodeMCU is connected. The command given via Mobile/Laptop will be actually controlling the NodeMCU outputs. And those outputs are then provided signals to Relay Module and Relay Module will operate the Magnetic Contactors of Feeders.

Benefits of the Project

Benefits at National Level

• Cost Saving for Infrastructure

Due to the aging and overloading of transmission lines in Pakistan, a huge cost is needed for new transmission lines which can be saved by the integration of Microgrid.

• Efficient and Reliable System

If Microgrid is designed in a proper way with a traditional grid the efficiency of the overall system is increased resulting in less total capital cost, higher installed generation, higher capacity factor on all assets, and higher reliability of the system

• Reducing Trade Deficit

RES and MG can help reduce the trade deficit of Pakistan in terms of Oil importing

• Outage Management

Overloading of transmission lines causes break down, MG can be used for managing Outage due to system Breakdown

• Safety from Cyber Attacks

Due to advancement in the traditional grid and the use of information and communication technologies, there is a chance of cyber-attack, due to the decentralized nature of MG cyber-attack is very difficult

• Environment Friendly

Improve environment/provide Clean and Green Energy Using Solar PV and wind clean energy is obtained with zero carbon dioxide emission

Benefits at Individual Level

• Suitable for Rural Electricity Consumer

In remote areas of Sindh and Baluchistan in Pakistan where it is very difficult to install transmission lines, MG is an optimal solution for providing energy at affordable rates.

• Outage Management

An outage of electricity due to Load Shedding is very common in Pakistan, this could be managed by integration of MG along with the traditional system

• Incentive Policy

Incentive policies can be offered to the customers, such as giving subsidized electricity to those providing energy to the traditional grid at peak hours.

• Sell excess power to the utility

Using the net metering concept extra power can be injected into the national grid in return utility companies compensate by providing incentives to the DG suppliers.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

This project aims to implement a fully functional prototype of a prototype smart microgrid. The deliverable product would include a web page and a prototype smart grid to be displayed in the FEST Lab of Indus University. This project is an integration of numerous technologies in a unified and robust framework to provide an IoT webpage to end-user with the ability to do operations and monitored the Smart Microgrid, the deliverable includes:

1) IOT Based Smart Monitoring

2) IOT Based Smart Switching

3) Supervisory Control from anywhere

4) Load Management

5) Energy Management

6) No Man Grid

7) Fault Detection & Diagnose

& many other more important parameters

Final Deliverable of the Project

HW/SW integrated system

Core Industry

Energy

Other Industries

Core Technology

Internet of Things (IoT)

Other Technologies

Sustainable Development Goals

Affordable and Clean Energy, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action

Required Resources

If you need this project, please contact me on contact@adikhanofficial.com