1

UNDERGROUND CABLE FAULT DISTANCE

LOCATOR

[U17EEP8701 – PROJECT PHASE II]

A REPORT

Submitted by

SIVASANKARI R - 17BEE066

NAVEENA S.P - 17BEE070

SWARNAMALYAA M - 17BEE094
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF
ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING
KUMARAGURU COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY
COIMBATORE 641 049
JUNE 2021
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KUMARAGURU COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY

COIMBATORE 641049

CERTIFICATE

The project work embodied in the present Report entitled “UNDERGROUND

CABLE FAULT DISTANCE LOCATOR” has been carried out in the Department of

Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Kumaraguru College of Technology,

Coimbatore. The work reported herein is original and does not form part of any other

project or thesis or paper published on the basis of which a degree or award was

conferred on an earlier occasion or to any other scholar.

I understand the Institution policy on plagiarism and declare that the project

report and publications are my own work, except where specifically acknowledged and

has not been copied from other sources or been previously submitted for award or

assessment.

SIVASANKARI R - 17BEE066
NAVEENA S.P - 17BEE070
SWARNAMALYAA M - 17BEE094

Signature of project guide Signature of HoD EEE

Dr.MOHANRAJ.M, Prof./EEE Dr.K.MALARVIZHI.

Submitted to the viva-voce Examination held on 23/06/2021

Signature of the Internal Examiner Signature of the External Examiner

Mr. S ARUNKUMAR/AP/EEE Dr S JAGANATHAN/Prof/Dr NGPIT
 3

ABSTRACT

This project Underground Cable Fault Distance Locator is used for identifying

faults in the underground cable. Underground cables are prone to a wide variety of faults

due to underground conditions, wear and tear, rodents etc. Diagnosing fault source is

difficult and entire cable should be taken out from the ground to check and fix faults.

The project work is intended to detect the location of fault in underground cable lines

from the base station in km using a Arduino microcontroller. To locate a fault in the

cable, the cable must be tested for faults. This prototype uses the concept of Ohms law.

The current would vary depending upon the length of fault of the cable. In the urban

areas, the electrical cable run in underground instead of overhead lines. Whenever the

fault occurs in underground cable it is difficult to detect the exact location of the fault.

The prototype is modelled with a set of wires representing cable length in km and fault

creation is made by a set of switches at every known distance to cross check the

accuracy of the same. In case of fault, the voltage across series wires change

accordingly, which is then fed to an ADC to develop precise digital data to a

programmed Arduino that further displays fault location in distance. The fault occurring

distance is displayed on a 16X2 LCD interfaced with the microcontroller.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We wish to record my deep sense of gratitude and profound thanks to KCT

Management, Principal, Head of the Department and Project Coordinator for the keen
interest, inspiring guidance, constant encouragement with my work during all stages, to
bring this work into fruition.

We express our deep sense of gratitude and thanks to our project guide
Dr.MOHANRAJ.M, Prof./EEE, Kumaraguru College of Technology, Coimbatore for
his/ her valuable suggestions and support.

We also thank the faculty and non-teaching staff members of the Department of
Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Kumaraguru College of Technology ,
Coimbatore , for their valuable support throughout the course of our project work.

SIVASANKARI R - 17BEE066

NAVEENA S.P - 17BEE070

SWARNAMALAYAA M - 17BEE090
 5

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER TITLE PAGE NO.

NO.
ABSTRACT 3
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 6
1 INTRODUCTION 7-11

1.1 Problem Statement 7

1.2 Field of the Project 9
1.3 Objectives 10
1.4 Organization of the Report 11

2 PROPOSED SYSTEM 12-26

2.1 Block Diagram of Underground Cable 12

Fault Distance Locator
2.2 Circuit or Model 13
2.3 Description of the Components 26

3 IMPLEMETATION OF UNDERGROUND 27-28

CABLE FAULT DISTANCE LOCATOR
3.1 Algorithm / Flow Chart 27
3.2 Implementation 28

4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 30-33

4.1 System 30
4.2 Simulation and Hardware Results 32
4.3 Comparison Of Result And Discussion 33

5 CONCLUSION 34-40

5.1 Conclusion 34
5.2 Future Scope 34
APPENDIX 35
REFERENCES 40
 6

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

DC - DIRECT CURRENT

LCD - LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY

PWM - PULSE WITH MODULATION

USB - UNIVERSAL SERIAL BUS

LED - LIGHT EMITTING DIODE

UART - UNIVERSAL ASYNCHRONOUS RECEIVER - TRANSMITTER

OS - OPERATING SYSTEM

HV - HIGH VOLTAGE

LV - LOW VOLTAGE

AC - ALTERNATING CURRENT

CT - CURRENT TRANSFORMER

MCB - MINIATURE CIRCUIT BREAKER

PCB - PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD

IDE - INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT

GNU - GNU's NOT UNIX

SPI - SERIAL PHERIPHERAL INTERFACE

TWI - TWO WIRE INTERFACE

AREF - ANALOG REFERENCE

RX - RECEIVE

TX - TRANSMIT

IOREF - INPUT/OUTPUT REFERENCE

 7

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 PROBLEM STATEMENT:

The underground cable system is a more common practice followed in many urban areas.
While fault occurs for some reason, at that time the repairing process related to that
particular cable is difficult due to not knowing the exact location of cable fault. The
conventional method of finding the fault needs man power and it requires high cost. The
method which we are using at present are Tracer method and Terminal method. The fault
occurs in the cable due to various reasons such as

➢ Inconsistency

➢ Weakness or non-homogeneity that affects

➢ Current is diverted from the intended path

➢ Caused by breaking of conductors & failure of insulation

Fault in cable can be classified as:

1.1.1 Open Circuit Fault: Open circuit faults occurs due to the failure of one or
 8

Fig 1.1.1 : OPEN CIRCUIT FAULT

more conductors. Megger is used for checking the open circuit fault. Open Circuit faults
are better than short circuit fault, because when these faults occur current flows through
cable become zero. This type of fault is caused by break in conducting path.

1.1.2 Short Circuit Fault: Short circuit can be defined as an abnormal connection of
very low impedance between two points of different potential, whether made accidently
or intentionally. Short circuit fault is the most common and severe kind of faults, which
results in the flow of abnormal high currents through the equipment or transmission
lines. If these faults are allowed to persist even for a short period, it leads to the
extensive damage will occur to the equipment, if these faults occur even for a short
period. Short circuit faults are otherwise called as shunt faults.

Fig 1.1.2 SHORT CIRCUIT FAULT

Further short circuit fault can be categorized in two types:

Symmetrical Fault: Three-phase fault is called symmetrical fault. In these all three
phases are short circuit.

Unsymmetrical Fault: In this fault magnitude of current is not equal displaced by 120
degrees.
 9

1.2 FIELD OF THE PROJECT:

It is used in industrial applications to detect underground cable fault where the cable is
laid underground instead of overhead lines. The method which is used at present,
requires a manpower and machineries to dig the entire underground cable to know the
location of the fault. By employing this project, the distance of the fault created will be
accurate and it will be easy to repair the fault. This project work is also intended to
detect the location of fault in underground cable lines from the base station in km using
a Arduino microcontroller since the process of locating the fault in the underground
cable is very tedious. This is a cost effective project, and the process of setting up the
project is also easy. The distance the fault occurred will be shown in the LCD display.

Fig 1.2: UNDERGROUND CABLES

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1.3 OBJECTIVES:

• The main objective of this project is to detect abnormalities occurring in

underground cables using Arduino.

• When the fault occurs the process of repairing related to that particular cable is
very difficult.

• The fault of the main cable occurs due to various reasons, they are: inconsistent,
any defect, weakness of the cable, insulation failure, and breaking of the
conductor.

• To overcome this problem, here is a project namely an underground cable fault

distance locator, used to find the location of the fault for underground cable.

• Using this project, we can accurately find the exact location of the fault in the
underground cables.

• This project can be done by using Arduino microcontroller coded with the
program which is connected to LCD where the exact location of the fault will be
shown
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1.4 ORGANIZATION OF THE REPORT:

CHAPTER 1 – Describes with the problem identification and objectives of the

project.

CHAPTER 2 – Deals with the proposed system configuration and overall

structure of the project.

CHAPTER 3 – Focuses on the implementation of underground cable fault distance

locator

CHAPTER 4 – Presents the result of underground cable fault distance locator

CHAPTER 5 – Points the conclusion of the project results and future

scope of the project.

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CHAPTER 2
PROPOSED SYSTEM

2.1 BLOCK DIAGRAM OF THE SYSTEM:

The overall block diagram of the system Underground Cable Fault Distance Locator is shown
in Fig 2.1

Fig 2.1 BLOCK DIAGRAM

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2.2 CONFIGURATION OF COMPONENTS:

The system structure represents the connection of the individual components and their
working principle.

2.2.1 ARDUINO UNO:

The Arduino Uno is an open-source microcontroller board based on

the Microchip ATmega328P microcontroller and developed by Arduino. The board is
equipped with sets of digital and analog input/output (I/O) pins that may be interfaced
to various expansion boards (shields) and other circuits. The board has 14 digital I/O
pins (six capable of PWM output), 6 analog I/O pins, and is programmable with
the Arduino IDE (Integrated Development Environment), via a type B USB cable. It
can be powered by the USB cable or by an external 9-volt battery, though it accepts
voltages between 7 and 20 volts. It is similar to the Arduino Nano and Leonardo. The
hardware reference design is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution Share-
Alike 2.5 license and is available on the Arduino website. Layout and production files

for some versions of the hardware are also available.

Fig: 2.2.1 ARDUINO

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GENERAL PIN FUNCTIONS:

LED: There is a built-in LED driven by digital pin 13. When the pin is high value, the
LED is on, when the pin is low, it is off.

VIN: The input voltage to the Arduino/Genuino board when it is using an external
power source (as opposed to 5 volts from the USB connection or other regulated power
source). You can supply voltage through this pin, or, if supplying voltage via the power
jack, access it through this pin.

5V: This pin outputs a regulated 5V from the regulator on the board. The board can be
supplied with power either from the DC power jack (7-20V) the USB connector (5V),
or the VIN pin of the board (7-20V). Supplying voltage via the 5V or 3.3V pins bypasses
the regulator, and can damage the board.

3V3: A 3.3 volt supply generated by the on-board regulator. Maximum current draw is
50 mA.

GND: Ground pins.

IOREF: This pin on the Arduino/Genuino board provides the voltage reference with
which the microcontroller operates. A properly configured shield can read the IOREF
pin voltage and select the appropriate power source, or enable voltage translators on the
outputs to work with the 5V or 3.3V.

Reset: Typically used to add a reset button to shields that block the one on the board.
 15

SPECIAL PIN FUNCTIONS:

Each of the 14 digital pins and 6 analog pins on the Uno can be used as an input or
output, under software control (using pinMode(), digitalWrite(), and digitalRead()
functions). They operate at 5 volts. Each pin can provide or receive 20 mA as the
recommended operating condition and has an internal pull-up resistor (disconnected by
default) of 20-50K ohm. A maximum of 40mA must not be exceeded on any I/O pin to
avoid permanent damage to the microcontroller. The Uno has 6 analog inputs, labeled
A0 through A5; each provides 10 bits of resolution (i.e. 1024 different values). By
default, they measure from ground to 5 volts, though it is possible to change the upper
end of the range using the AREF pin and the analogReference() function.

Fig 2.2.1 ARDUINO PIN DIAGRAM

 16

• Serial / UART: pins 0 (RX) and 1 (TX). Used to receive (RX) and transmit (TX)
TTL serial data. These pins are connected to the corresponding pins of the
ATmega8U2 USB-to-TTL serial chip.

• External interrupts: pins 2 and 3. These pins can be configured to trigger an

interrupt on a low value, a rising or falling edge, or a change in value.

• PWM (pulse-width modulation): pins 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, and 11. Can provide 8-bit
PWM output with the analogWrite() function.

• SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface): pins 10 (SS), 11 (MOSI), 12 (MISO), and 13

(SCK). These pins support SPI communication using the SPI library.

• TWI (two-wire interface) / I²C: pin SDA (A4) and pin SCL (A5). Support TWI
communication using the Wire library.

• AREF (analog reference): Reference voltage for the analog inputs.

COMMUNICATION:

The Arduino/Genuino Uno has a number of facilities for communicating with a

computer, another Arduino/Genuino board, or other microcontrollers. The ATmega328
provides UART TTL (5V) serial communication, which is available on digital pins 0
(RX) and 1 (TX). An ATmega16U2 on the board channels this serial communication
over USB and appears as a virtual com port to software on the computer. The 16U2
firmware uses the standard USB COM drivers, and no external driver is needed.
However, on Windows, a .inf file is required. Arduino Software (IDE) includes a serial
monitor which allows simple textual data to be sent to and from the board. The RX and
TX LEDs on the board will flash when data is being transmitted via the USB-to-serial
chip and USB connection to the computer (but not for serial communication on pins 0
and 1). A SoftwareSerial library allows serial communication on any of the Uno's digital
pins.
 17

AUTOMATIC (SOFTWARE) RESET:

Rather than requiring a physical press of the reset button before an upload, the
Arduino/Genuino UNO board is designed in a way that allows it to be reset by software
running on a connected computer. One of the hardware flow control lines (DTR) of the
ATmega8U2/16U2 is connected to the reset line of the ATmega328 via a 100 nanofarad
capacitor. When this line is asserted (taken low), the reset line drops long enough to
reset the chip.

This setup has other implications. When the UNO is connected to a computer running
Mac OS X or Linux, it resets each time a connection is made to it from software(via
USB). For the following half-second or so, the bootloader is running on the UNO. While
it is programmed to ignore malformed data (i.e anything besides an upload of new code),
it will intercept the first few bytes of data sent to the board after a connection is opened.

2.2.2 STEP DOWN TRANSFORMER:

A step down transformer is a type of transformer that converts the high voltage (HV)
and low current from the primary side of the transformer to the low voltage (LV) and
high current value on the secondary side of the transformer. The reverse of this is known
as a step up transformer.

A transformer is a type of static electrical equipment that transforms electrical energy

(from primary side windings) to magnetic energy (in transformer magnetic core) and
again to the electrical energy (on the secondary transformer side). A step-down
transformer has a wide variety of applications in electrical systems and transmission
lines.

The first LV application refers to the transformers in electronic devices. Supplying the
electronic circuits requires a low voltage value (e.g. 5V, even lower values nowadays).
 18

Fig 2.2.2 STEP DOWN TRANSFORMER

A step-down transformer is used to provide this low voltage value which is suitable for
electronics supplying. It transforms home voltage (230/120 V) from primary to a low
voltage on the secondary side which is used for electronic supplying.

If electronic devices are designed to have higher nominal power, transformers with high
operating frequency are used (kHz-s). The transformers with higher nominal power
value and 50/60 Hz nominal frequency would be too large and heavy. Also, the daily
used battery chargers use the step-down transformer in its design.

APPLICATIONS:

The step-down transformers have a very important function in a power system. They
lower the voltage level and adapt it to energy consumers. It is performed in several steps
described below:
 19

➢ A long distance energy transmission system should have a voltage level as high
as possible. With high voltage and low current, the transmission power loss will
be significantly decreased. A power grid is designed that has to be connected
with the transmission system with the different voltage levels.
➢ Step-down transformers are used in the interconnection of transmission systems
with different voltage levels. They decrease voltage level from high to lower
value (e.g. 765/220 kV, 410/220 kV, 220/ 110 kV).

Fig 2.2.2 STEP DOWN TRANSFORMER 120V/5V

➢ These transformers are huge and have very high nominal power (even 1000
MVA). In this case, when the transformer turns ratio is the autotransformers are
usually installed.
➢ The next voltage level transformation step is adapting the transmission voltage
to the distribution level. The characteristic voltage ratios, in this case, are 220/20
kV, 110/20 kV (also the LV secondary voltages 35 kV and 10 kV can be found).
The nominal power of those transformers is up to 60 MVA (usually 20 MVA).
The on-load tap changer is almost always installed in these transformers. Voltage
regulation is the main function of tap changer. In the USA the tap changer is
 20

based on the LV side, and in the rest of the world mostly on the HV transformer
side.
➢ The final voltage transformation step is adapting the voltage to the home voltage
level.

2.2.3 LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY (LCD):

The term LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display. It is one kind of electronic display
module used in an extensive range of applications like various circuits & devices like
mobile phones, calculators, computers, TV sets, etc. These displays are mainly
preferred for multi-segment light-emitting diodes and seven segments. The main
benefits of using this module are inexpensive; simply programmable, animations, and
there are no limitations for displaying custom characters, special and even animations,
etc.

LCD 16X2 PIN DIAGRAM:

The16x2 LCD pinout is shown below.

• Pin1 (Ground/Source Pin): This is a GND pin of display, used to connect the
GND terminal of the microcontroller unit or power source.

• Pin2 (VCC/Source Pin): This is the voltage supply pin of the display, used to
connect the supply pin of the power source.

• Pin3 (V0/VEE/Control Pin): This pin regulates the difference of the display,
used to connect a chargeable POT that can supply 0 to 5V.

• Pin4 (Register Select/Control pin): This pin toggles among command or data
register, used to connect a microcontroller unit pin and obtain either 0 or 1 ( 0 =
data mode and 1= Command mode).

• Pin5 (Read/Write/Control Pin): This pin toggles the display among the read or
writes operation, and it is connected to an microcontroller unit pin to get either
0 or 1 ( 0 = write operation, 1= Read operation).

• Pin6 (Enable/Control Pin): This pin should be held to execute Read/Write

process, and it is connected to the microcontroller unit & constantly held high.
 21

Fig 2.2.3: LCD PIN DIAGRAM

• Pin7-14 (Data Pins): These pins are used to send data to the display. These pins
are connected in two – wire modes like 4 – wire mode and 8 – wire mode. In 4 –
wire mode only four pins are connected to microcontroller unit like 0 to 3,
whereas in 8 – wire mode, 8 – pins are connected to microcontroller unit like 0
to 7.

• Pin15 (+ve pin the LED): This pin is connected to +5V.

 22

• Pin16 (-ve pin of the LED): This pin is connected to GND.

• Fig 2.2.3: LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY

FEATURES OF LCD 16X2:

The features of this LCD mainly include the following.

• The operating voltage of this LCD is 4.7V – 5.3V

• It includes two rows where each row can produce 16 – characters

• The utilization of current is 1mA with no backlight

• Every character can be built with a 5x8 pixel box

• Pixel The alphanumeric LCDs alphabets & numbers

• Alphanumeric LCD display can work on two modes like 4 – bit & 8 - bit

• These are obtainable in Blue & Green Backlight

• It displays a few custom generated characters

 23

2.2.4 CURRENT TRANSFORMER

Fig 2.2.4 CURRENT TRANSFORMER

The Current Transformer (C.T) is a type of “instrument transformer" that is designed to

produce an alternating current in its secondary winding which is proportional to the
current being measured in its primary. Current transformer reduce high voltage currents
to a much lower value and provide a convenient way of safely monitoring the actual
electrical current flowing in an AC transmission line using a standard ammeter. The
principal of a basic current transformer is slightly different from that of an ordinary
voltage transformer

Current transformers can reduce or “step-down” current levels from thousands of

amperes down to a standard output of a known ratio to either 5 Amps or 1 Amp for
normal operation. Thus, small and accurate instruments and control devices can be used
with CT’s because they are insulated away from any high-voltage power lines. There
are a variety of metering applications and uses for current transformers such as with
Wattmeter’s, power factor meters, watt-hour meters, protective relays, or as trip coils
in magnetic circuit breakers, or MCB’s
 24

2.3 Circuit Diagram :

Fig 2.1 Circuit diagram

 25

2.4 Description :

This project demonstrates the design of working model of Underground Cable

Fault Distance Locator.

• In this proposed system, the new method is proposed system, the new method
isproposed to detect the incipient fault and location in the underground cable.

• The algorithm only utilize the fundamental voltages and the current recorded at
the single end, normally at the sub station and the fault can be easily detected by the
user

• This system consists of an Arduino, current transformer, liquid crystal display.

Here the current transducer is the main sensing element which detects the fault.

• The current transducer is connected along the transmission line. It will send
signals to the micro controller based on the power passing on the line.

• The controller will continuously monitor the signal from the circuit. If there is
any abnormality, the microcontroller will sense the distance and it will be displayed on
the LCD
 26

CHAPTER 3

IMPLEMENTATION OF UNDERGROUND CABLE FAULT DISTANCE

LOCATOR

3.1 FLOW CHART

Fig 3.1 FLOW CHART

 27

3.2 SOFTWARE IMPLEMENTATION

The Software used are

• Proteus Professional
• Arduino IDE

PROTEUS PROFESSIONAL:

The Proteus Design Suite is a proprietary software tool suite used primarily for
electronic design automation. The software is used mainly by electronic design
engineers and technicians to create schematics and electronic prints for manufacturing
printed circuit boards.

Schematic Capture

Schematic capture in the Proteus Design Suite is used for both the simulation of designs
and as the design phase of a layout project. It is therefore a core component and is
included with all product configurations.

Microcontroller simulation

The micro-controller simulation in Proteus works by applying either a hex file or a

debug file to the microcontroller part on the schematic. It is then co-simulated along
with any analog and digital electronics connected to it. This enables its use in a broad
spectrum of project prototyping in areas such as motor control, temperature control and
user interface design. It also finds use in the general hobbyist community and, since no
hardware is required, is convenient to use as a training or teaching tool.

Full feature (ISIS) schematic capture with support for hierarchical design bus pins
configurable bill of materials and much more, ISIS lies at the heart of the Proteus
system, and is far more than just another schematics package. It combines a powerful
design environment with the ability to define most aspects of the drawing appearance.
Whether your requirement is the rapid entry of complex designs for simulation and PCB
layout, or the creation of attractive schematics for publication, ISIS is the tool for the
job. ISIS supports Object oriented editor with automatic wire routing and dot placement
or removal.
 28

ARDUINO IDE:

The Arduino Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is a cross-platform

application (for Windows, macOS, Linux) that is written in functions from C and C++.
It is used to write and upload programs to Arduino compatible boards, but also, with
the help of third-party cores, other vendor development boards.

The open-source Arduino Software (IDE) makes it easy to write code and upload it to
the board. This software can be used with any Arduino board.

The source code for the IDE is released under the GNU General Public License. The
Arduino IDE supports the languages C and C++ using special rules of code structuring.
The Arduino IDE supplies a software library from the Wiring project, which provides
many common input and output procedures. User-written code only requires two basic
functions, for starting the sketch and the main program loop, that are compiled and
linked with a program stub main() into an executable cyclic executive program with the
GNU toolchain, also included with the IDE distribution. The Arduino IDE employs the
program to convert the executable code into a text file in hexadecimal encoding that is
loaded into the Arduino board by a loader program in the board's firmware.

With the rising popularity of Arduino as a software platform, other vendors started to
implement custom open-source compilers and tools (cores) that can build and upload
sketches to other microcontrollers that are not supported by Arduino's official line of
microcontrollers.
 29

CHAPTER 4

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

4.1 SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS

TABLE 4.1 ARDUINO UNO

Operating Voltage 5V

Input Voltage 7 – 20 V

Digital I/O Pins 14

Analog Input Pins 6

DC Current per I/O Pin 20 mA

DC Current for 3.3V Pin 50 mA

Clock speed 16MHZ

TABLE 4.2 LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY

Operating Voltage 4.7V to 5.3V

Current consumption 1mA

Input Voltage 5V

Supply Current 2.5mA

 30

TABLE 4.3 CURRENT TRANSFORMER

Operating voltage 230V

Input current 26mA

Input power 3 watt

Output power 2.6 watt

 31

4.2 SIMULATION RESULT:

Simulation off condition:

Fig 4.2 Simulation off condition

 32

Simulation on condition:

Fig 4.2 Simulation on condition

 33

CHAPTER 5

5.1 CONCLUSION

Thus, the project on Underground cable fault detection using Arduino was done and the
distance of the fault was displayed on the LCD for the three lines R,Y and B. When the
fault switches are operated to fault condition then the phase corresponding to that
particular switch is considered as the faulty phase, and the distance of the fault will be
shown in the liquid crystal display using Arduino microcontroller.

5.2 FUTURE SCOPE

• In this paper we detect the exact location of the fault in the wires which is
considered as the underground cable using Arduino.
• In future, this project may be implemented practically in underground cables.
• It can be incorporated with GSM and the distance of the fault will be sent in a
message to mobile phone.

.
 34

APPENDIX

Photograph :

Fig 5.1

Fig 5.2
 35

PIC PROGRAM:

#include <LiquidCrystal.h>
LiquidCrystal lcd(12, 11, 5, 4, 3, 2);
int phase[3] = {7, 8, 9};
int distance(int inputVoltage)

{
if (iinputCurrent 120 && inputCurrent< 130) {
return 8;
}
else if (inputCurrent>= 170 &&inputCurrent< 180)
{

return 6;
}
else if (inputCurrent >= 180 && inputCurrent< 190)
{
return 4;
}

else if (inputCurrent>= 600 && inputCurrent< 750)

{
return 2;
}
else return 0 ;
}

void setup()
{
lcd.begin(16, 2);
for (int j = 0; j < 3; j++)
 36

{
pinMode(phase[j], OUTPUT);
}
}

void loop()
{
digitalWrite(phase[0], HIGH);
delay(500);
int dist1 = distance(analogRead(A0));
if (dist1 == 0)
{

lcd.setCursor(0, 0);
lcd.write("L1: ");
lcd.setCursor(3, 0);
lcd.write("NF ");

else
{
lcd.setCursor(0, 0);
lcd.write("L1 ");
lcd.setCursor(3, 0);
lcd.print(dist1);
lcd.setCursor(4, 0);
lcd.write(" Feet");
}

digitalWrite(phase[0], LOW);
digitalWrite(phase[1], HIGH);
delay(500);
int dist2 = distance(analogRead(A0));
 37

if (dist2 == 0)
{
lcd.setCursor(8, 0);
lcd.write("L2: ");
lcd.setCursor(11, 0);
lcd.write("NF ");
}
else
{
lcd.setCursor(8, 0);
lcd.write("L1: ");
lcd.setCursor(11, 0);
lcd.print(dist2);
lcd.setCursor(12, 0);
lcd.write(" Feet");
}

digitalWrite(phase[1], LOW);
digitalWrite(phase[2], HIGH);
delay(500);
int dist3 = distance(analogRead(A0));
if (dist3 == 0)
{

lcd.setCursor(0, 1);
lcd.write("L3 ");
lcd.setCursor(3, 1);
lcd.write("NF ");
}
else {
lcd.setCursor(0, 1);
 38

lcd.write("L3");
lcd.setCursor(3, 1);
lcd.print(dist3);
lcd.setCursor(4, 1);
lcd.write(" Feet");
}
digitalWrite(phase[2], LOW);
}
 39

REFERENCES

1) Abhishek Pandey, Nicolas.H, You nan, “Underground Cable Fault Detection and
Identification via Fourier Analysis”, 2010 IEEE.

2) Anurag.D.Bork hade (2014) „Transmission Line Fault Detection Using Wavelet

Transform‟-International Journal on Recent and Innovation Trends in Computing
andCommunicationVolume.2 Issue.10.

3) A.Ngaopitakkul, C.Pothisarn, M.Leelajindakrairerk, “Study of Characteristics for

Simultaneous Faults in Distribution Underground Cable using DWT”, 2011 IEEE.

4) XiaYang, Myron-SongChoi, Seung-JaeLee, Chee-WooTen, and Seung-IlLim (2008)

“Fault Location of Underground power cable using Distributed parameter approach‟-
IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, Vol. 23, No. 4, November2008.