Arduino Mega Based Current Recorder Prototype Implementation

Abstract

Current measurements in electric power systems are important aspects, both for monitoring and protection. The researchers have designed, created and tested a digital current measuring and recording prototype instrument. The current signals were sensed by the split-core current transformers, entered to the signal conditioning, to the main Arduino Mega 2560 microcontroller, and finally to the three outputs, namely a PC monitor, SD card data logger and LCD. It was tested and the results were compared to the computation results and the clamp ammeter readings, as the reference instrument. On both single and three phase systems, the absolute deviations would considerably rise and the relative deviations would slightly reduce as the load currents increased. Nevertheless, the values on both systems were not exactly same. For the single phase, the average absolute and relative deviation slopes were 0.156548 A/kW and -0.0020772 %/kW respectively. On other hand, for the three phase system, they were 0.12372 A/kW and -0.04176 %/kW respectively. The relative deviations to the computation results were under 6%, tended to be 3%, and the relative deviations to the reference instrument readings were under 3%, tended to be 1%, as the load increased.