Design and Development of Wi-Fi and GPS-Based Smart Monitoring and Fault Detection System for Three-Phase Power Transmission Line Using Arduino

Rapid and accurate detection, classification, and localization (DCL) of faults in overhead transmission lines (TLs) are critical for minimizing downtime and enhancing power system resilience, particularly as these lines often traverse remote and environmentally vulnerable regions. This paper proposes an Internet of Things (IoT)-based intelligent monitoring system for real-time fault DCL in TLs. A hardware prototype was developed using a scaled single-phase, four-wire configuration to emulate three-phase behaviour. The system integrates an Arduino Mega for sensor data acquisition, an ESP32 module for wireless communication, and a NEO-6MV GPS module for geographic localization. Real-time current readings are captured via ACS712 sensors and transmitted to the Arduino IoT Cloud platform for remote monitoring. The system also delivers live fault alerts, specifying fault type, affected phase, and exact location, to the responsible engineer and load dispatch centre via cloud-based notifications. The prototype successfully identified 24 different fault scenarios, including single-line-to-ground (SLG) and double-line-to-ground (DLG) faults across four distinct zones, demonstrating 100% detection, classification, and localization accuracy over 960 trials. This work represents a scalable and cost-effective solution for innovative TL fault management and lays the groundwork for real-time fault analysis systems in modern power grids.