International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Science

Volume 3, Issue 4, pp. 37-41, 2019. ISSN (Online): 2456-7361

Automatic Voltage Regulator

Prof. P. G. Dhawale1, Prithviraj Patil2, Nilesh Kumbhar3, Rasika Mandlik4, Pranali Nikam5,
Saraswati Kamble6
1
Assistant Professor, EEE Department, Sanjay Ghodawat Group of Institutes, Kolhapur
2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Students, EEE Department, Sanjay Ghodawat Group of Institutes, Kolhapur
Email: dhawale.pg @sginstitute .in, 2prithvirajpatil 4243 @gmail.com, 3nileshpkumbhar 1997 @gmail.com,
1
4
rasikamandlik26@ gmail. com, 5pranalinikam52@ gmail. com, 6saraswatikamble9696@gmail.com

Abstract—AVR (Automatic Voltage Regulator) plays a key role in generating stations. To maintain voltage stability of the generator the
terminal voltage should remain constant all the times. In a large interconnected system manual regulation is much complicated and therefore
automatic generation and voltage regulation is necessary. So, to maintain a constant voltage level, Automatic voltage regulators are used at
each generating station. Generally the voltage fluctuation is mainly due to the variation in the load and if there is a variation in the voltage then
it can damage the equipment so it is necessary to stabilize there voltage so automatic voltage regulator is used in the system to stabilize the
voltage or to regulate the voltage.

Keywords— AVR, ATMEGA328.

discrete optimization problems.[13] Duan Hai-bin presented a

I. INTRODUCTION parameter optimization strategy for PID controller using ACO
In the power system it is necessary that system should be Algorithm. The algorithm has been applied to the
operate in steady state condition so most of the equipment’s combinatorial optimization problem, and the results indicate
are designed to work in predetermined values of voltage and high precision of control and quick response. Mohd. Rozely
frequency of operation. So it is desirable that overall voltage Kalil, Ismail Musirin proposed Ant Colony Optimization
profile must be within the permissible limit at all the times (ACO) technique for searching the optimal point of maximum
during the operation. The load on the system is not constant all loadability point at a load bus. Hamid Boubertakh, Mohamed
the time, it’s always varying and these load change Tadjine, Pierre-Yves Glorennec and Salim Labiod has
requirement we can get through automatic excitation system, proposed theory that although conventional PID controllers
automatic excitation system in the sense that Automatic are the most used in the industrial process, their performance
Voltage Regulator so it is used to stabilize the voltage in the comparison with known methods.[4]
power system. In case of any deviation from these values Hany M. Hasanien (2013) propose optimization of PID is
results in decrease in performance and lifetime of these often limited when it is poorly tuned and/or used for
equipment’s. Hence for effective operation of the power controlling highly complex processes with nonlinearities,
system the Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVR) is installed at complex dynamic behaviors.[3] Kiarash, Mehrdad Abedi,
each generating plants. The main objective of AVR system is (2011) Shuffled frog leaping and particle swarm optimization
to maintain the terminal voltage of the alternator in the this two algoritm are used to determine optimal PID controller
generating station. The Power system consist of generator it in AVR system and also shows that for tuning PID controller
having Automatic Voltage Regulator to stabilize there voltage. using various optimization technique reduces complexity and
find more realistic result than trial and error method.[4] Zwe-
II. LITERATURE REVIEW Lee Gaing (2004) presented PSO for optimum design of PID
Yoshida et al. proposed PSO for reactive power and controller in AVR system. The simulation results proved the
voltage control considering voltage stability. The results proposed method in improving the step response of an AVR
reveal that the proposed method generates a solution very near system.[11] Rohit Kumar presented PSO based approach to
to the global optimum solution. Ying-Tung Hsiao presents an solve the economic load dispatch with line flows and voltage
optimum approach for designing of PID controllers using constraints, and concluded that the proposed approach is
ACO to minimize the integral absolute control error. The computationally faster than GA.[12]
experiment results demonstrate that better control performance
can be achieved in comparison with conventional PID III. AUTOMATIC VOLTAGE REGULATOR
method.[6] Ing-Tung Hsiao proposed a solution algorithm AVR (Automatic voltage regulator) is a system which
based on the ant colony optimization to determine the PID mainly designed to automatically maintain a constant voltage
controller for getting a well performance. Simulation results level. It is used the power system to stabilize voltage which
demonstrate that better control performance can be achieved occurs because of variation the load also it is an instrument
in controller in AVR system shows that minimize the that adjusts voltage by means of automatic control device. The
maximum percentage overshoot, the rise time, the settling automatic voltage regulator is used to control the variation in
time and oscillation and step response of AVR system can be the voltage. It sense the fluctuation in voltage and changes
changed. Richa Singh (IEEE 2016)-ACO is popular technique them into a stable voltage. The variation in the voltage occurs
which shows behavior of real ant colonies to find solutions to because of the variation in load. The variation in voltage is

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 International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Science
Volume 3, Issue 4, pp. 37-41, 2019. ISSN (Online): 2456-7361

harmful for the equipment of the power system. Generally, speed of the machine. The excitation is more when load
the AC automatic voltage regulator is a device designed to current of the system is large, power factor is lagging and
regulate voltage automatically that is, it sense variation in the speed of machine less.
voltage level and turn it into a stable voltage level. The
Types of Excitation System:
automatic voltage regulators for generators were
electromechanical systems, but a modern AVR uses solid-state  DC Excitation System
devices. An AVR is work as feedback control system that  AC Excitation System
measures the output voltage of the generator and compares  Rotor Excitation System
that output to a set point, and generates an error signal that  Brushless Excitation System
error signal controls the excitation of the generator. As the  Static Excitation System
terminal voltage of the alternator increases as the excitation
current in the field winding of the generator increases. IV. HARDWARE BLOCK DIAGRAM

Why We Need AVR

It is very much necessary that the voltage of a supply
system be maintained constant otherwise the performance of
motors, lights etc. will be affected. The voltage of an A.C
generator can vary 30% or more from no-load to full-load.
Close control of generator voltage can only be achieved by
regulating the voltage automatically by means of an AVR unit.
Working Principle of Automatic Voltage Regulator:

Figure 2. Hardware Block Diagram

The Block Diagram Consist Of:

 Autotransformer
 Servomotor
 Step down transformer
 Signal conditioning unit
 Atmega328 IC
Figure 1. Automatic Voltage Regulator  Load
The working of an AVR is as follows: Single Phase Auto Transformer:
(i) It works on the principle of detection of error. The single Phase Autotransformer having only one
(ii) Output Voltage of Generator is sensed through a winding; part of this winding is common to both primary and
potential transformer. secondary. Primary and secondary windings are electrically
(iii) This voltage is first rectified, filtered and compared with isolated in two winding transformer, but this is not in the case
the reference voltage and produce a error signal. of autotransformer. As AVR is nothing but automatic voltage
(iv) Error signal is amplified by the Amplifier and then regulator. If voltage is increases then AVR sense that voltage
amplified error signal controls the excitation of main and compare that voltage with the reference voltage and
exciter. produce error signal and these error signal send to servo motor
(v) Output of that exciter controls the terminal voltage of the through PWM signal by Arduino.
Alternator.
(vi) Voltage Stabilizer used in the system to protect the
equipment from high voltage or low voltage fluctuations.
(vii) Voltage Stabilizer regulates the fluctuating input voltage
before it could be fed to the load.
(viii) By these ways Automatic Voltage Regulator works.

Excitation System: The system which is used to provide field

current to the rotor winding of synchronous machine, such
type of system is called as excitation system. The main
Figure 3. Single Phase Auto Transformer
requirement of excitation system is reliability under all
condition and simplicity of control. The amount of excitation Servo motor is coupled to the Autotransformer so when
required is depend upon load power factor, load current and servo sense the output of Arduino then it rotates and

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 International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Science
Volume 3, Issue 4, pp. 37-41, 2019. ISSN (Online): 2456-7361

automatically Autotransformer also rotate due to coupling.. As In this prototype model step-down transformer is used, as
voltage decreases at the time also servo motor sense the error signal conditioning unit requires small voltage level therefore
signals and due to their coupling it increases voltage level 230V is converted into 5V. The transformer is used for step
means that here Single phase Auto Transformer work as a down the voltage level for rectification purpose.
BUCK BOOST system.
Signal Conditioning Unit:
 Advantages of Auto transformer:
 Only one winding is used in the auto-transformer, Signal conditioning is define as converting an analog
Therefore weight of the core material and volume of signal such as it meets the requirements of the next stage for
copper required reduces which results in low cost. further processing. Most common use is in analog-to-digital
 Power losses are less, So efficiency will be high. converters. Operational amplifiers are employed to carry out
 Better voltage regulation. the amplification of the signal in the signal conditioning stage.
 Applications of Auto Transformer: Now we discuss this entire component one by one.
 To give small boost to a transmission line to correct the Full bridge rectifier:
voltage drop.
 To interconnect two grids which have different voltage
ratings (3 phase autotransformers).
 As a starter for 3 phase induction motors.
Servo Motor:
A servo motor is like a DC motor, along with some other
special purpose components that make a DC motor a servo. In
a servo unit, it will find a small DC motor, a potentiometer, Figure 6: Bridge Rectifier
gear arrangement and an intelligent circuitry. The main
circuitry along with the potentiometer makes the servo to The Full Bridge Rectifier is used for converting output
rotate. voltage of step down transformer into 5 V DC. Then these
supply pass to Arduino which s work on the 5 V supply and
before passing these supply to Arduino it passed from
Smoothing Capacitor for eliminating ripple in the supply.
Smoothing Capacitor:

Figure 4: 5 V DC Servo Motor

Specifications:-
 Stall Torque : 13 Kg/ cm
 Operating Speed : 0.17 sec/ 60ia
0.14 sec/ 60ia
Figure 7: Smoothing Reactor
 Operating Torque : 4.8 V – 7.2 V
 Power Supply :Through External The main function of capacitor is for smoothing the wave
 Gear Type : Metal Gear of bridge rectifier. 470 micro farad capacitor is used here.
 Wire Length : 300 mm After that the output is given to variable potentiometer. The
A Servo Motor has an output shaft. This shaft positioned to smoothing capacitor converts the rippled output of the rectifier
some angular positions by sending the servo a coded signal. into a smooth DC voltage.
As the signal exists on the input line, the servo will maintain
the angular position of the shaft. The angular position of the Variable Potentiometer:
shaft changes, If the signal changes.
Step Down Transformer:

Figure 8. Variable Potentiometer

Figure 5. Single Phase Step down Transformer

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 International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Science
Volume 3, Issue 4, pp. 37-41, 2019. ISSN (Online): 2456-7361

A potentiometer is a three-terminal rheostat with a rotating In prototype design the autotransformer connects to servo
contact that forms an voltage divider. If there is only two motor by coupling. Autotransformer is used for buck and
terminals then one end and the wiper, it acts as a variable boost system voltage. When system voltage is reduced then
rheostat. The measuring instrument called a potentiometer is a servo motor senses the error value and it increases the system
voltage divider used for measuring voltage. voltage with the help of autotransformer by changing the
tapings of autotransformer. When system voltage is increased
Arduino Kit:
transformer changes its angle and reduces the voltage level;
every time system has to maintain output voltage constant.
Servo motor is used for feedback purpose; it gives feedback or
senses the error value and accordingly changes their tappings.
The PWM technique is used to send information to servo
motor as servo motor understand the PWM signal. Later in the
circuit, analog to digital converter is used because
ATMEGA328 IC requires digital signal. ADC converter
requires 5V DC supply for that purpose use of signal
conditioning unit is used. ATMEGA328 IC is used for
automatic voltage regulator.
Figure 9. Arduino In hardware implementation the hardware is connected to
ATMEGA328 IC: Arduino by using USB cable which continuously gives signal
to servomotor causing the change in angle of autotransformer
The ATMEGA328 provides the following features:
to buck and boost the system voltage. This helps to maintain
 32 K bytes of In-System Programmable Flash Program
terminal voltage at constant value. In this experiment, we will
memory with Read- While-Write capabilities.
connect the power and ground pins directly to the Arduino 5V
 1024 bytes EEPROM.
and GND pins. The PWM input will be connected to one of
 2 Kbytes RAM.
the Arduino's digital output pins. The best thing about a servo
 32 general purpose I/O lines.
motor is that it can be connected directly to an Arduino. When
 32 general purpose working registers.
the program starts running, the servo motor will rotate slowly
 Three Timer/Counters with compare modes.
from 0 degrees to 180 degrees, one degree at a time. When the
 Internal and External Interrupts.
motor has rotated 180 degrees, it will begin to rotate in the
Load: Two Resistive loads are used.
other direction until it returns to the home position.
VI. CONCLUSION
AVR (Automatic voltage regulator) is a system which
mainly designed to automatically maintain a constant voltage
level. It is used the power system to stabilize voltage which
occurs because of variation the load also it is an instrument
that adjusts voltage by means of automatic control device.
Variation in the voltage ios mainly due to the fluctuation in the
load in the supply system and variation in the voltage damage
Figure 10. 60 W, 100 W Load
the equipment so it is necessary to stabilize that voltage so
V. EXPERIMENTAL SETUP OF HARDWARE: Automatic Voltage regulator is used in the system.
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 International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Science
Volume 3, Issue 4, pp. 37-41, 2019. ISSN (Online): 2456-7361

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