An Experimental Set-up Involving Low-cost Digital Controller to Study the Magnetizing Inrush Current in a Transformer using Point-on-Wave Switching Technique

Abstract

Generally in under-graduate studies, magnetizing inrush current (MIC) is discussed theoretically without giving much practical exposure. This paper presents the development of a low cost experimental set-up using a digital controller to study the MIC and the different parameters which can affect the same. This also helps to show how the inrush current can be minimized. This set-up also provides a hands-on experience of MIC and its control in under-graduate study, which can help an upcoming practitioner in industry as well as in further research. This paper presents a brief description of MIC, followed by a short analysis. Here, a pair of anti-parallel thyristors are connected in series with the primary winding of a single-phase power transformer. The turningon instant of this switch, with respect to the zero-crossing instant of the input supply voltage, may be adjusted through a firmware, in a PIC18F4620 from Microchip Technology microcontroller development board from Microchip Technology to control the transformer energisation instant. The firmware is developed in MPLABX-IDE from Microchip Technology, and the scheme is verified via simulations in Proteus simulation software. A suitable circuit to support the microcontroller development board to achieve the above function is designed and fabricated.

Keywords

• microcontroller
• point on wave switching technique
• zero-crossing detector
• thyristor
• transformer magnetizing current