Defending a project idea

[ssembo]

I worked on some project "Automatic load sharing of a transformer system with protective analysis" with some of you guys and actually finished it with your help. I was hoping i could use it as my final year project but it was rejected with a view that it was not economically viable. I felt sad. My design was to work for industries but they were relating it to a 33kV substation where many things had to be involved.

My question now is, is there a way i can defend my project? Can it really be a final year project? Need your help cause i now feel, am so stressed to think of another project. Cant do anything concerning microproccessor cause i have no idea.

Thanks

Colin

 

[KMoffett]

In the USA you could claim it was for a military purpose....then cost is a non-issue!

Ken

 

[Reloadron]

This is where you take a deep breath and get out a plain white sheet of paper and start again. Frustration and things not going right are part of the game. The only way to defend a project, any project is to prove beyond any doubt that the gains will outweigh the cost. If that can't be clearly proven, you lose the argument. This is also where you need to choose your battles wisely.

Ron

 

[BrownOut]

Since when does a final year project have to be economically viable?

 

[KMoffett]

That may be one of the criteria that ssembo wasn't aware of or didn't think about. His project supervisor certainly considered it.

ssembo, was there a written or stated parameter for selection or implementation of an FYP by you supervisor?

Ken

 

[Sceadwian]

Brownout, what good is a degree if all they know how to do is build stuff that can't possibly work in the real world? Cost/benefit analysis a very important factor in modern design. I'm with ReloadRon, if you want to validate the idea then you have to work it all out on paper, showing initial cost, efficiency gains and time to break even as well as difference in maintenance costs and longevity compared to existing systems.

 

[BrownOut]

It's not possible to only know how to build stuff that can't be 'economically viable.' The design methods and techniques are the same if the product sells billions or just a couple. The idea of design and engineering is to get something to work, cost benefit analysis and such are left up to the bean counters.

Besides, not every product that's developed is targeted for the mass market. Personally, I've developed products to use in my company's lab for R&D, and will never see the light of day. Not just me, but also look at what other professionals are doing. There are many different ways to pursue development of products, but they all have one thing in common: they must work!

 

[ssembo]

i can call my circuit a switching circuit hence can work on backup systems like power sources. It can be installed for the various sources at a bus. Is there any other place where such a circuit that detects current and compares it and uses that for switching can be used?

 

[Reloadron]

I guess, on a smaller scale, you could design an emergency transfer backup system so when mains power fails, antomatic backup to an emergency generator takes place. Nothing new but.... Popular.

Ron

 

[BrownOut]

What does you project do anyway? If I understood it better, I might be able to make a suggestion. I can say this: if it in any way makes the grid more efficient or usable, then it would be very important.

 

[ssembo]

What does you project do anyway? If I understood it better, I might be able to make a suggestion. I can say this: if it in any way makes the grid more efficient or usable, then it would be very important.

"Automatic load sharing of transformer with protective analysis"

In this project a slave transformer shares the load of master transformer over load and over temperature. A sensor circuit is designed to log the data from the master transformer and if it is found to be in the over load condition immediately the slave transformer will be connected in parallel to the master transformer and the load is shared .A comparator IC is used to compare the load of the transformer with a standard load capacity and an NPN transistor is used to drive the relay. This project uses regulated 12V, 750mA power supply. A three terminal voltage regulator LM7812 is used for voltage regulation. Bridge type full wave rectifier is used to rectify the ac output of secondary 240/24V step down transformer.

Also, incase a master transformer gets a fault, its isolated from the power system by its protective gear and a signal is sent to my circuit to connect the slave transformer.

 

[blueroomelectronics]

Where would this be useful? Why would anyone need this?

 

[BrownOut]

So you have a comparator, relay, driver and power supply in you system. Have you prototyped it? I have a couple issues. First of all, what is the purpose of the slave transformer? What advantage is there in having two transformers over just having one with sufficient capacity? Secondly, a final year project should be complex enough to demonstrate what you've learned in all your many years at your university, and I don't see that level of complixity in your description. I'm not saying your project isn't complex enough, but there must be something to it other than what you've described so far.

What if instead of switching transformers, your project switched power generators. Then you could show a real purpose, and that would be the efficiency gained by turning off generators when the load is light. You could add a micro controller to send the start signal to the generator and stop the signal when you have an indication that the generator is up and running. The you can get fancy, have one generator be a 5KW and the other be 10KW, and that way you can dial up either 5, 10 or 15 KW as the need arises.

Just a thought.

 

[ssembo]

Where would this be useful? Why would anyone need this?

Instead of transformers, i guess it can be used in backup systems. Loads are continously varying and also, transformers/generators are liable to failure which may lead to a break down in the system if such a method is not implimented.

My main issue is a transformer failing to work and the whole system going down. It may be very important to process industries that do not require any shut downs.

 

[ssembo]

So you have a comparator, relay, driver and power supply in you system. Have you prototyped it? I have a couple issues. First of all, what is the purpose of the slave transformer? What advantage is there in having two transformers over just having one with sufficient capacity? Secondly, a final year project should be complex enough to demonstrate what you've learned in all your many years at your university, and I don't see that level of complixity in your description. I'm not saying your project isn't complex enough, but there must be something to it other than what you've described so far.

What if instead of switching transformers, your project switched power generators. Then you could show a real purpose, and that would be the efficiency gained by turning off generators when the load is light. You could add a micro controller to send the start signal to the generator and stop the signal when you have an indication that the generator is up and running. The you can get fancy, have one generator be a 5KW and the other be 10KW, and that way you can dial up either 5, 10 or 15 KW as the need arises.

Just a thought.

This would be a very good one but i haven't learn't any microcontrollers. No idea but i can learn if given help.

 

[blueroomelectronics]

Transformers and generators are very reliable, where did you get the idea they weren't?

 

[BrownOut]

Have you learned programming? Microcontrollers are just an intersection of programming and electronics. Have you ever used a parallel port on a computer for I/O? You can substitute a PC for a controller for demonstration purposes.

 

[ssembo]

Have you learned programming? Microcontrollers are just an intersection of programming and electronics. Have you ever used a parallel port on a computer for I/O? You can substitute a PC for a controller for demonstration purposes.

Learned some C programming but i do not know if it can work. i guess i will need some software but again, am planing to use a vero board, am sorry have never used any parallel port to connect a pc and any circuit. tell me its something easy.

thanks

 

[ssembo]

Transformers and generators are very reliable, where did you get the idea they weren't?

Alright man, now lets get on Brownout's idea. Whats your opinion?

 

[BrownOut]

Learned some C programming but i do not know if it can work. i guess i will need some software but again, am planing to use a vero board, am sorry have never used any parallel port to connect a pc and any circuit. tell me its something easy.

thanks

Well, you can just use simple state-machines to do the same thing. It shouldn't have to be too complicated.