DESIGN OF A PROGRAMMABLE SOLID STATE CIRCUIT BREAKER

Abstract

The use of a circuit breaker in the power system cannot be over emphasized. When fault is detected in a power system, the power system is disconnected form the power supply due to the presence of the circuit breaker which prevents the fault from damaging the power system. In this design, a simple and reliable programmable solid-state circuit breaker for power systems is presented so as to achieve the basic objectives of power system protection. The design includes the utilization of numerous modules/units such as the current sensing module (RF module), a microcontroller, and a solid-state relay. From the results obtained; it was observed that when the power of the system connected to the circuit breaker reaches the set threshold value programmed, the system goes off and the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) displays a statement ‘’overload detected’’. A new threshold value of power can be re-programmed using reset buttons on the system.