1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background Of The Project
Electrical/Electronic Engineering is a very important element that cannot be neglected in the society as it is deeply sewn into the fabric of the society. It is an important element in homes to power household devices like electric bulbs, electric cooker, refrigerator, television set, etc. It also finds applications in various work places/offices to power devices like light bulbs, air conditioners, computers, etc. In fact electronic/electrical engineering is the foundation of careers of many people doing both white-collar and blue-collar jobs.
Despite the development, the power generation and distribution across the country is abysmally low and is very far from being enough. This is a problem that has provoked so many alternative power solutions to cater for the increasing power needs.
The popular solution is the generator set. There are sets of different sizes and ratings; they also use fuel like petrol or diesel. However the generating set has disadvantages like noise pollution, air pollution (it has led to the death of many people in Nigeria), and an expensive alternative power solution.
That is why an alternative, the power inverter is advocated for homes since the load is small compared to industrial setups. It must be noted however that a generating set is still advisable for an industrial setup despite its disadvantages. The power inverter solves most of the disadvantages of the generating set regarding cost of fuel, noise pollution, and air pollution.
The power inverter is an able alternative power supply source for homes with bad electricity supply from electricity utility companies.
1.2 Problem Statement
Faced with the problem of abysmal power supply from supply authorities, noise pollution, air pollution, cost of the popular alternative: generator sets, there is a need for a less noisy, pollution free and cheap solution to power problems in the houses of individuals and families in Nigeria.
1.3 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of this project is to design and construct a 2kVA power inverter with an inbuilt charging system that will be charged when there is supply from mains and supply the inverter when there is no supply from the mains. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To design and construct an inverter that will be able to power essential loads in a house.
- To design and construct an automatic switching circuit for changing power between the battery and the mains power supply.
- To design and construct an electromechanical switch for altering power supply and cutting battery supply when it is low.
- To design and construct an alarm circuit that beeps when the load on the iverter is beyond the inverter capacity.
1.4 Significance Of The Study
With the obvious advantages of the inverter being a cheaper (in the long term) and cleaner source of energy, it is a device that can power essential loads in the absence of supply from power supply utilities in the country.
1.5 Scope Of The Study
The scope of this study is based on the design and construction of a 2kVA power inverter and its process of operation.
1.6 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
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