IoT-Based Smart Underground Cable Fault Detector

Underground high-voltage cable usage is expanding due to their resistance to pollutants, severe weather, heavy rain, and storms. However, these cables are prone to damage due to improper installation, poor jointing, and potential harm from third-party activities such as curb edging or trenching. Additionally, environmental factors, abrasion, and animal threats further complicate the process of locating and repairing faults. This project introduces a diagnosis system utilizing the Internet of Things (IoT) to identify and locate faults in underground cables. By enabling faster fault detection, the system aims to reduce the time, money, and effort associated with repairs. The IoT-based solution utilizes a set of voltage dividers mounted on the cable to detect faults. When a fault occurs due to a shortening between two cables, a voltage is generated, which is then detected by an ESP32 microcontroller. This microcontroller notifies the user by providing the fault location in kilometers. The gathered data is displayed on a liquid crystal display (LCD) and transmitted online via a Wi-Fi module to the Blynk cloud database for storage and further analysis.