Development of an Arduino-Based Monitoring System for Pico-Hydro Power Plants

Abstract

One of the problems faced by people in remote areas is the unavailability of infrastructure for power distribution. The available rivers can be used to generate electrical energy. The developed systems must be inexpensive, easy to operate and reliable. It should be equipped with a monitoring system to display the output. This study aims to develop a pico-hydro power plant and its monitoring system to meet the power needs in remote areas. The power plant consists of a small turbine, a generator, a battery charger, and a battery while the monitoring system consists of a current sensor, voltage sensor, Arduino Nano, and a display. The system was tested in the laboratory and the river. The test of the DC voltage sensor, AC voltage sensor, and DC current sensor produces errors of 1.88%, 5.24%, and 1.25% respectively. The no-load test shows that the system generates a voltage of 12.77 - 16.6 VDC and 224 - 245 VAC when rotated at 696 - 1363 RPM. When loaded, the system generates voltages of 12 - 12.8 VDC and 225 - 247 VAC when rotated at 1332 - 1564 RPM. The developed system can be used by people in remote areas to meet their power needs.