Transcript Slide 1

ENSC 440/ENSC 305
15 December 2009
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Shamsul Hoque (Sam)
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Amir Najafzadeh
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Chief Financial Officer
Zhouhao Cui (Joe)
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Chief Executive Officer
Chief Technical Officer
Milad Moezzi
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Chief Marketing Officer
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Motivation
Team Members’ Roles
Team Dynamics
System Overview
High Level System Design
Alternative Solution
Marketability
Future Upgrades
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Environmental Considerations
Project Specifics
Lessons learnt
Conclusion
Resources
Acknowledgements
Questions
Low Level System Details
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Motivation
Team Members’ Roles
Team Dynamics
System Overview
High Level System Design
Alternative Solution
Marketability
Future Upgrades
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ACSR Wire
Splice
Splice in a
Transmission
Line
Faulty Splice
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Dangers of a faulty Splice
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Loss of power and electricity transmission
Live wire may fall on ground!
May even cause electrocution and forest fires!!
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A typical splice lasts about 20-30 years. Why
change it if there is no damage?
After researching expensive not-so-effective
existing solutions, we were looking for an
alternative
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Motivation
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Team Members’ Roles
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Team Dynamics
System Overview
High Level System Design
Alternative Solution
Marketability
Future Upgardes
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Zhuohao Cui (Joe)
 Hardware Design
 Software Implementation
 Research and Development
Shamsul Hoque (Sam)
 Research and Development
 Quality Assurance
 Documentation
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Amir Najafzadeh
 Research and Development
 Hardware Design
 Budgeting
Milad Moezzi
 Marketing and Finances
 Hardware Design
 Troubleshooting
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Motivation
Team Members’ Roles
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Team Dynamics
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System Overview
High Level System Design
Alternative Solution
Marketability
Future Upgrades
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Efficient weekly
meetings were held
Each member was
assigned tasks with
specific deadlines
Disagreements were
overcome maturely
Progress was monitored
on a weekly basis
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Motivation
Team Members’ Roles
Team Dynamics
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System Overview
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High Level System Design
Alternative Solution
Marketability
Future Upgrades
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An alternating magnetic field is generated
around a conducting wire
Due to corrosion and other factors, as splices
deteriorate, conducting wires slowly loose
contact
As strands start becoming inactive, a change in
magnetic field intensity can be observed
A Hall Effect Sensor or other sensors can be
used to measure this alternating magnetic field
intensity
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Motivation
Team Members’ Roles
Team Dynamics
System Overview
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High Level System Design
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Alternative Solution
Marketability
Future Upgrades
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Operational Algorithm
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Control Unit
Hall Effect Sensors
 Microcontroller
 Voltage Regulators
 Shifter Circuit
 Software
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Hall Effect Sensors
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are able to measure magnetic field
intensity directly in to mili volts
(mV), once placed near a current
conducting splice
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can measure a wide range of
magnetic field strengths unlike
other sensors
An actual size HE Sensor
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Microcontroller
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Once input data has been
collected by the Hall Effect
Sensors, a Arduino Duemilanove
board processes this data
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The board has a Atmel
ATmega328 chip. It also has a
built in analog to digital data
converter
Arduino Duemilanove PIC board
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Microcontroller
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There is a built in 32 kilo bytes
(KB) flash memory, which is more
than enough to store sufficient
data for one scanning process.
After each scanning process,
stored data is reset.
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There is a dedicated software
provided by the manufacturer
free of cost which is related to this
board
Arduino Duemilanove PIC board
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Shifter Circuit
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Tests were carried out on a overhead
cable.
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When only one strand was
conducting current the output
voltage was 2.4401V
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When all the strands were
conducting current the output
voltage was 2.508 V
Voltage Regulator circuit to
provide a constant Vcc for a
Shifter circuit
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Shifter Circuit
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This provided a very small range of
60.7 mV to determine a splice’s
health
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We need a shifter circuit to map the
2.4401-2.508V range to 0-5V range
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We also need a voltage regulator to
make sure the Op Amp receives
constant voltage supply from the
source
Shifter circuit calculations
and results
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User Interface Unit
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LCD
 This LCD does not require an additional
power source to operate. It can be powered
using the power from the microcontroller
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LEDs
 The green LED is used to show that data is
within optimal range.
 The red LED is used to indicate data is out
of range.
 The blue LED lights up when data is
irrelevant or there is insufficient data.
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Motivation
Team Members’ Roles
Team Dynamics
System Overview
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High Level System Design
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Alternative Solution
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Marketability
Future Upgrades
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Infrared Thermography Technique
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Use infrared cameras to detect hot spots.
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This process can detect hot spots to
determine failures only at later stages of a
splice’s life under certain conditions
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Wind flow and weather conditions can
significantly impact test results
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Resistance Measurement
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A properly installed splice has lower
resistance than that of a similar length
conductor.
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It should have a resistance of 30%-80% of
the conductor; i.e., the ratio is 0.3-0.8.
Any splice with a ratio greater than 1.2
will heat up and show abnormality.
Replacements should be made if the ratio
goes over 2.0
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X-Ray/Radiography Method
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Improper installation or misplaced
splices can be a major cause of splice
failures.
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But this is not an accurate indication of a
failed splice as proper placement and
alignment do not assure lifetime
connection.
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It is a costly method to carry out
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Motivation
Team Members’ Roles
Team Dynamics
System Overview
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High Level System Design
Alternative Solution
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Marketability
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Future Upgrades
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Power transmission cable companies
Auto-Splice makers
Power line maintenance companies
Tie-line data management companies
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Between countries
Between provinces and states
Turbine cross-cables, induced machine cables
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Cheap i.e. 90-100$
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No other product with same accuracy and simplicity
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Even cheaper if mass produced
Accuracy- Rises as testing period decreases
Simplicity- Simple to use, maintain
Way cheaper, when compared with power losses and
hazards associated
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Reduces operation cost, from engineering, or
high level positions to technicians
As it takes few minutes for each connection
point. Big savings on overall costs
Very feasible
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Thermal testing
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Costly
Inefficient
Hard to operate
Node by Node
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Only operational when cable has already failed
Power shut off
Hard to test and replace in harsh climates
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Motivation
Team Members’ Roles
Team Dynamics
System Overview
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High Level System Design
Alternative Solution
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Marketability

Future Upgrades
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Hall Effect Sensor Noise Reducing Circuit
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This is a very simple circuitry that might be used
to reduce introduced noise.
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This circuit can be particularly useful where the
data is irrelevant and can be filtered out.
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Integrating Hot Stick and separating the
user interface unit
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The ASCA device has multiple power sources.
This gives the device added portability and a
chance to power/operate the device from a laptop
or an alternating power source.
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In future models, for instantaneous observations,
the user interface unit can be separated and held
in hand while the rest of the device is mounted on
overhead wire. For this model to be produced,
wiring needs to be incorporated with the hot
stick.
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Environmental Considerations
Project Specifics
Conclusion
Resources
Acknowledgements
Questions
Low Level System Details
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Started On Time ?
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Meet The Deadlines ?
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The Outcome ?
What we paid for:
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Arduino Micro Controller
LEDs
LCD Display
Bread Board
Hall Effect Sensors
Regulators
Wireless Circuit
$25
Battery
Electric Kettle
Transmission Cable
Total
$292
$45
$3
$17
$21
$50
$1
$35
$25
$70
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Designed to be cheap
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Estimated Unit Price: $100
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Programming micro-controller i.e. Arduino
Applied C++ to coding and debugging
LCD display coding and encoding
Control of different components in the circuit,
i.e. sensors, LEDs, LCD
Timing, between the data captures and desired
time
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Arduino Duemilanova connections
Sensors and regulators
Shifting the voltage value to desired
Single power source
Concepts of load
Isolation and cable preparation for testing
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Mapping university studies with applied
concepts and practices
Management individual and team duties
Deadline and what they mean in real world
Keeping log book and journal for organization
purposes
Communitarian skills and team dynamics
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Dr. John Bird
Steve Whitmore
Jason Lee
RP Electronics
Lee’s Electronics