Non-contact Current Measurement in Power Transmission Lines

This project deals with the technique of measurement of current in power transmission lines without the need for actual contact with the wires. Magnetic fields emitted by the wires are sensed using hall-effect based magnetic field sensors. Signals from these sensors are utilized for computing or ‘reconstructing’ the currents. Algorithms are developed in Matlab to facilitate the computation process. The algorithm also considers the challenge of interference due to Earth's magnetic field and stray magnetic fields. The study is performed on a scaled down model of a three phase three wire power transmission line configuration. This technology is aimed at improving the flexibility and portability of present day current measurement technology related to power transmission lines. They can be used as a secondary or temporary measurement system to complement measurements from the current transformers (CT) or be installed in places where CTs are absent. As the measurement system will be completely isolated from the power lines, they possess numerous advantages.