Data Acquisition and Controlling in Thermal Power Plants using a Wireless Sensor Network and LabVIEW

Abstract

Monitoring and controlling of parameters such as temperature, humidity and pressure is an essential process in critically controlled environments of industries including the Thermal Power Plants. For the working of Thermal Power Plants, storage of different chemicals to the process of cracking and combustion, controlling these parameters are essential. In this paper various data acquisition process in a Naphtha based thermal power plant was investigated and a virtual system has been designed to monitor and control, using 16F877A microcontroller and LabVIEW based platform. This provides a cost effective and energy efficient monitoring and control system. With very little modifications this platform can be utilized for various industrial needs.