Automatic Humidity and Temperature Control for a 20 kV cubicle Operation at Lokomboro Microhydro Power Plant
Agus Putu Abiyasa, Gede Eka Saputra Darmayudha, I Wayan Sukadana
Universitas Pendidikan Nasional
Abstract
We report a design for optimum humidity and temperature control system based on a low cost open source Arduino Microcontroller. The system is implemented in a 20 kV high voltage cubicle compartment for Lokomboro Microhydro Power Plant at Sumba, Indonesia. Due to high water vapor, humidity inside the cubicle is very high (>70%) creating plasma arching and destroying the cubicle. By installing blower and heater coupled with humidity and temperature sensors, we manage to prevent the arching by removing the excess water vapor. With automatic control, manual checking has been reduced to twice a year. Furthermore, blower and heater operation time has also been reduced to 14 hours a day. Therefore, the Lokomboro Microhydro Power Plant has operated with minimum maintenance cost and longer cubicle lifetime.
Keywords: Microhydro power plant, Plasma arching, Arduino microcontroller
Topic: Electrical Engineering