Remote Health Monitoring Device for Distribution Transformers

Abstract

The poor response time of maintenance teams during transformer-related problems is a very frustrating event for many customers. Numerous ways of remotely monitoring transformers have been proposed, including the use of GSM technology, Machine learning, and transformer health index prediction. Rural areas tend to be sidelined with these approaches to monitoring the transformer health, and some approaches do not provide real-time monitoring but tend to predict using specific transformer parameters. With the help of LoRa communication and the IoT network, it is possible to monitor in real-time some parameters of the transformer that could contribute to transformer failure if they are left unattended. This study proposes a simple LoRa communication approach to real-time monitoring of transformer health to accommodate transformers located in far places away from maintenance teams. A hardware system is designed and built, a system integration and communication module is implemented and a frontend is developed to visualize the results. The experimental results proved that the system would be able to measure the needed parameters and display in real-time the condition of a distribution transformer.