Advanced Overhead Field Passage Indicator for High-Current Power Lines

This work presents the development and implementation of an Advanced Overhead Field Passage Indicator (FPI) designed for high-current power lines. Traditional FPIs face challenges such as limited accuracy, susceptibility to environmental factors, and difficulty in distinguishing normal variations from actual faults, leading to inefficiencies and safety risks in power management. The proposed system overcomes these limitations by integrating state-of-the-art sensing technology and robust algorithms for precise, real-time power line monitoring. It features an RL78/I1C microcontroller with a 24-bit delta-sigma ADC and RAA788000 Rogowski coil-based current sensors in a differential-stacked configuration, minimizing noise interference and improving measurement accuracy. The sensors are divided into two measurement ranges (0A-500A and 500A-1000A) to enhance sensitivity across varying current loads. Although designed to measure up to 5000A, testing is conducted up to 1000A due to developer-imposed constraints, and validation using a portable 3-phase energy meter test bench confirmed an average accuracy of 99.9%. This innovative approach enhances operational efficiency by enabling automated fault detection, real-time data acquisition, and analysis, making it a valuable tool for improving power transmission reliability.