DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING

In rural areas, access to sustainable and dependable power is essential for advancing healthcare, education, and socioeconomic development. This project work presents the design and implementation of a solar mini grid aimed at providing electrification for a rural community. The project focuses on providing a load dispensary using solar mini grid as a clean and renewable source via a pure sine wave inverter to address the energy poverty occurring in remote areas. The design methodology contains a thorough assessment of the energy needs of the target community, considering factors such as population density, existing infrastructure, and the specific load requirement for the dispensary. The selected photovoltaic panels, charge controllers, designed inverters, and battery storage systems are optimized for efficiency, durability, and cost effectiveness. Finally, the conclusion was drawn from the final results and observations in the course of the project. The project's conclusions offer significant new information to the field of renewable energy planning, with practical applications for engineers and other professionals who strive to provide rural communities with sustainable and equitable access to energy.

Visual impairment significantly restricts independent navigation and environmental awareness, affecting over 2.2 billion people globally. This project aims to design and implement a low-cost, wearable visual aid that enhances navigation safety for visually impaired individuals through real-time object detection and intelligent audio feedback. The system addresses critical gaps in affordability, offline capability, and intelligent information prioritization by providing a practical alternative to expensive commercial assistive devices.

The system integrates a Microsoft LifeCam HD-3000 camera module with a Raspberry Pi 5 single-board computer running the YOLO-Fastest object detection model via the NCNN inference framework. It encompasses a four-stage pre-processing pipeline including frame resizing, color conversion, normalization, and data layout transformation. A spatial processing and prioritization algorithm evaluates detected objects based on monocular distance estimation, directional zoning, trajectory analysis, and hazard level classification. The system generates context-aware audio feedback through the pyttsx3 text-to-speech engine, employing priority-based speech rate modulation (150-180 wpm) and an interrupt mechanism for critical warnings.
Comprehensive testing was conducted across five detection scenarios, range validation tests, object prioritization assessments, and environmental stress tests under varying lighting conditions. Experimental results demonstrated consistent real-time performance with average response times of 55.68–65.18 ms per frame (15–18 FPS) and confidence scores ranging from 0.68 to 0.85. The system achieved effective detection ranges of 8 m for pedestrians, 33.21 m for static obstacles, and 112.9 m for vehicles. Object prioritization accuracy reached 100% in simple scenarios but decreased to 73.8% in highly crowded environments with seven simultaneous objects. Environmental testing revealed detection rates of 95–100% under daylight conditions, degrading
to 30% in near-dark environments. The system processed over 15,000 frames without software crashes, confirming operational stability. The prototype, assembled from off-the-shelf components at a fraction of commercial costs, successfully demonstrates the feasibility of an affordable, edge-deployed wearable visual aid suitable for daytime navigation assistance.

This project “Design and Construction of a microcontroller timer socket outlet, that takes over the task of human intervention in electrical and electronic appliances when connected to power. It can also be used as home automation system to ensure energy saving by shutting off from the main supply in such a way that it will switch off the loads once it counts down to zero.
The working principle is such that a preset time, usually between 1minute and 1440 minutes, is set using the appropriate buttons and made to start operation when the start button is hit. The preset time counts down to zero and disconnects automatically from the main supply to conserve power usage. The microcontroller does the countdown which is displayed on the LCD . At the completion of the task, audio and visual signals are indicated to signify completion.
The microcontroller-driven timer socket outlet project effectively showcased the capability to automate electrical devices according to set time intervals. Utilizing a microcontroller paired with a real-time clock (RTC) module, the system enabled users to program specific activation and deactivation times for connected appliances, promoting energy savings and ease of use. Tests verified precise timing functionality and consistent performance across different loads. In summary, the project successfully delivered an affordable and intuitive tool for automating electrical devices, with potential uses in smart homes, energy conservation, and IoT applications. Enhancements such as wireless features and mobile app compatibility could further expand its functionality in the future.

This work presents the modeling, simulation and analysis of a Home Energy Management System (HEMS) specifically designed to manage domestic load. The aim of this project is to model and analyze the HEMS for efficient energy harvesting, storage and consumption. To implement this, the HEMS system was modeled and simulated using MATLAB/Simulink. Each subsystem of the HEMS; the PV system, DC bus, DC-DC converter, DC/AC inverter, battery subsystem, home subsystem, AC/grid interface are modelled using the Simulink blocks and all design considerations are taken account for. The system is rated at 5kw and it was designed to power two test loads of 3KW each which was connected to the home energy management system (HEMS) i.e a total 6KW load. In this project, we used Simulink to simulate a photovoltaic system, grid power and a battery connected to a home energy management system (HEMS) as complementary power sources to address issues of power shortages and to also minimize and control the rate of energy consumption in homes thus reducing the cost of power consumption as much as possible.
Having designed, simulated and analyzed the HEMS, the results were studied and the system was effective in managing the loads under different grid and power scenarios. The system’s response during a 6-second simulation period showed how the system managed the two 3kW loads under different scenarios. The PV system initially powers both loads, drawing the 1KW deficit from the Grid. A grid outage is then simulated, and the loads previously powered by the sun and grid are then powered by the battery system, reducing grid usage and reliance. The grid is later restored and it resynchronizes with the system. This indicates the system success in managing the load under different power and grid scenarios.

The existing landscape of real-time communication often relies on traditional wire intercom systems which are characterized by high installation costs, complex wiring, and inherent flexibility, posing significant challenges for scalable deployment in dynamic environments. These limitations necessitate a modern, cost-effective, and easy-to-deploy solution that utilizes existing infrastructure. The primary aim of this project is to address this deficit by designing and implementing a functional, low-latency 4-channel Wi-Fi ( Wireless Fidelity) Local Area Network (LAN) based wireless intercom system capable of facilitating clear, full-duplex voice communication among multiple users.The system methodology centered on a decentralized, peer-to-peer architecture utilizing ESP32 microcontroller for its integrated Wi-Fi capabilities and dedicated I2S (Inter integrated sound ) digital audio interface. Audio quality was managed by pairing an INMP441 digital microphone a MAX98357A digital amplifier, eliminating analog noise and circuit complexity. Crucially, communication over the LAN was executed using the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) instead of Control Protocol (TCP). This deliberate choice minimized packet overhead and connection management, which is essential for ensuring the reliable, low-latency data transmission required for real-time conversation. Testing confirmed the successful two-way voice transmission between all intercom units, with the system consistently demonstrating an end-to-end latency below the critical 150ms threshold required for human-perceptible real-time conversation. In conclusion, the project successfully validated the technical feasibility of leveraging commodity Internet Of Things (IoT) hardware for sophisticated communication tasks. The resulting system is a significantly more scalable and cost-effective alternative to legacy wired intercoms, demonstrating a framework for future development in affordable, high performance wireless communication product

Single phase inverters play an essential role in applications such as uninterruptible power supplies and renewable energy systems, yet their operation is often affected by faults including short circuits, open circuit conditions, and DC link overvoltage. This work reviews these common fault types, their characteristic influence on inverter performance, and the protective measures commonly employed to limit their impact and ensure reliable operation. The study involved identifying and classifying major inverter faults, examining the protection techniques typically used in practice, and developing a simulation model of a single phase H - bridge inverter for controlled analysis. Selected protection devices, including fast acting fuses, electronic current limiting circuits, and voltage clamping components, were examined under various fault scenarios, with parameters such as Response Time, Detection Rate, and Fault Coverage used for evaluation. Observations from the simulation provided insight into how the inverter behaves when exposed to different fault scenarios and how each protection device influences system response. The patterns revealed through these analyses highlight the importance of rapid fault handling, effective voltage suppression, and balanced device coordination. Based on these insights, the study emphasizes the value of adopting a multilayered protection arrangement that integrates fast electronic sensing with traditional isolation components to enhance the overall safety, reliability, and cost effectiveness of single phase inverter systems.

Single phase inverters play an essential role in applications such as uninterruptible power supplies and renewable energy systems, yet their operation is often affected by faults including short circuits, open circuit conditions, and DC link overvoltage. This work reviews these common fault types, their characteristic influence on inverter performance, and the protective measures commonly employed to limit their impact and ensure reliable operation. The study involved identifying and classifying major inverter faults, examining the protection techniques typically used in practice, and developing a simulation model of a single phase H - bridge inverter for controlled analysis. Selected protection devices, including fast acting fuses, electronic current limiting circuits, and voltage clamping components, were examined under various fault scenarios, with parameters such as Response Time, Detection Rate, and Fault Coverage used for evaluation. Observations from the simulation provided insight into how the inverter behaves when exposed to different fault scenarios and how each protection device influences system response. The patterns revealed through these analyses highlight the importance of rapid fault handling, effective voltage suppression, and balanced device coordination. Based on these insights, the study emphasizes the value of adopting a multilayered protection arrangement that integrates fast electronic sensing with traditional isolation components to enhance the overall safety, reliability, and cost effectiveness of single phase inverter systems.

The existing landscape of real-time communication often relies on traditional wire intercom systems which are characterized by high installation costs, complex wiring, and inherent flexibility, posing significant challenges for scalable deployment in dynamic environments. These limitations necessitate a modern, cost-effective, and easy-to-deploy solution that utilizes existing infrastructure. The primary aim of this project is to address this deficit by designing and implementing a functional, low-latency 4-channel Wi-Fi ( Wireless Fidelity) Local Area Network (LAN) based wireless intercom system capable of facilitating clear, full-duplex voice communication among multiple users. The system methodology centered on a decentralized, peer-to-peer architecture utilizing ESP32 microcontroller for its integrated Wi-Fi capabilities and dedicated I2S (Inter integrated sound ) digital audio interface. Audio quality was managed by pairing an INMP441 digital microphone with a MAX98357A digital amplifier, eliminating analog noise and circuit complexity. Crucially, communication over the LAN was executed using the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) instead of
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). This deliberate choice minimized packet overhead and connection management, which is essential for ensuring the reliable, low-latency data transmission required for real-time conversation.
Testing confirmed the successful two-way voice transmission between all intercom units, with the system consistently demonstrating an end-to-end latency below the critical 150ms threshold required for human-perceptible real-time conversation. In conclusion, the project successfully validated the technical feasibility of leveraging commodity Internet Of Things (IoT) hardware for sophisticated communication tasks.

The comprehensive study of high-frequency transmission lines, including stripline, microstripline, differential microstrip lines and differential straplines configuration is critical for advanced RF and microwave engineering education. Fundamentals of some transmission line phenomenon such as impedance matching, reflection coefficient and the effect of open and short circuits, relies greatly on practical hands-on experience alongside theoretical tools like the Smith chart. Furthermore, many academic institutions face challenges in providing laboratory systems that accurately represent high-frequency transmission line structures on common PCB substrates such as FR4. The absence of versatile and cost-effective experimental circuits limits students’ opportunities to explore and solve real-world transmission line problems, thereby hindering the development of essential engineering skills. This project aims to develop an integrated high-frequency transmission line experimentation systems for university laboratories, incorporating stripline, microstripline, differential microstriplines and differential striplines configuration on FR4 substrates. The system will facilitate direct measurement and analysis of transmission line behavior, enabling students to visualize various experiments, and investigate the proposed applications (e.g. open and short circuit effects, s-parameters,
transmission line as a filter etc.) within a controlled environment.
By linking theoretical concepts with practical experiments, specifically through the application of Smith chart and transmission line theory, this system will enhance RF engineering education, equipping students with the competence needed to address modern communication system challenges effectively

The comprehensive study of high-frequency transmission lines, including stripline, microstripline, differential microstriplines and differential striplines configuration is critical for advanced RF and microwave engineering education. Fundamentals of some transmission line phenomenon such as impedance matching, reflection coefficient and the effect of open and short circuits, relies greatly on practical hands-on experience alongside theoretical tools like the Smith chart. Furthermore, many academic institutions face challenges in providing laboratory systems that accurately represent high-frequency transmission line structures on common PCB substrates such as FR4. The absence of versatile and cost-effective experimental circuits limits students’ opportunities to explore and solve real-world transmission line problems, thereby hindering the development of essential engineering skills. This project aims to develop an integrated high-frequency transmission line experimentation systems for university laboratories, incorporating stripline, microstripline, differential microstriplines and differential striplines configuration on FR4 substrates. The system will facilitate direct measurement and analysis of transmission line behavior, enabling students to visualize various experiments, and investigate the proposed applications (e.g. open and short circuit effects, s-parameters, transmission line as a filter etc.) within a controlled environment. By linking theoretical concepts with practical experiments, specifically through the application of Smith chart and transmission line theory, this system will enhance RF engineering education, equipping students with the competence needed to address modern communication system challenges effectively