MERU UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (MUST)

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE

DEPARTMENT: ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS
ENGINEEERING
A project proposal
by
NAME: VINCENT KIPTOO CHELAGAT
REG NO: EG209/104401/20

TITLE: POWER SUPPLY WITH AUTO SWITCHING.

A proposal submitted in partial fulfillment for the award of the Degree of

Bachelor of Technology in Electrical and Electronics Engineering in the
Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering in Meru University of
Science and Technology

DECLARATION
We hereby declare that this project proposal is our original work except as cited
in the references and has not been presented for the award of degree in any
other University.
Sign: ......................................... Date:
............................................
Name: vincent kiptoo chelagat
1
 Reg. Number: EG209/104401/20
This proposal has been submitted for examination with my approval as the
University supervisor.
Sign: .......................................
Date: ...................................
Supervisor:

Table of Contents
TITLE: POWER SUPPLY WITH AUTO SWITCHING.................................................................1
DECLARATION.................................................................................................................................1
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION................................................................................................3
1.1 Background of the study...............................................................................................................3
1.2 Problem Statement........................................................................................................................4
1.3 Objectives.......................................................................................................................................4
1.4 Justification....................................................................................................................................4

ABSTRACT
This proposal is based in constructing a power supply with auto switching
device using a relay and resistor embedded mechanism to protect any electrical
devices when over voltages occurs, which is a potentially dangerous situation
where current/voltage flows in an unregulated value. This kind of a device helps
to prevent wastage of power when there is no load it cuts supply of power, its
reliable method to safeguard electrical appliance and also increase the lifespan
of the power supply device.

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

2
 In the field of electrical engineering, ensuring the safety and reliability of
electrical devices is utmost importance. Most of embedded electronic based
systems need a regulated supply of power. Well this type of power supply is
needed to provide a regulated and variable power supply system that
automatically stops supply in case no load is detected.
We here vary the output voltage between 3.75 to 8.7 Volts using a voltage
regulator arrangement. We further use a relays and transistor embedded
mechanism. This mechanism auto switches off the input power supply in case
of no load condition. In today’s digital age, reliable power supply is essential
for the continuous operations of various electrical and electronic devices. This
project proposal aims to design and implement a power supply system with auto
switching that ensures uninterrupted power supply by automatically switching
between primary and backup power sources. A power supply that can
automatically turn ON or OFF depending on the status of the load is highly
desirable in many applications. This is because it not only saves energy and
prolongs the lifespan of the power supply, but also protects the connected
devices from any potential damage. In this context, the power supply auto-on-
off switch plays a crucial role in efficiently managing the power supply.
Power supplies are an essential component in any electronic device, ensuring
that the device runs smoothly and consistently. However, these power supplies
can drain a significant amount of energy when not in use, leading to wasted
electricity and increased utility bills. As a solution to this problem, the power
supply auto-on-off switch shoul be developed. This switch ensures that the
power supply is only active when the device is in use, thereby dramatically
reducing energy consumption and saving money in the long run.

The auto-on-off switch is a straightforward yet powerful feature. When the

device is turned on, the power supply automatically turns on with it, providing
the necessary energy for the device to operate. Conversely, when the device is
turned off, the power supply shuts off as well, preventing any energy from
being wasted unnecessarily. In other words, it ensures that the power supply is
only active when it needs to be, rather than continuously draining energy even
when the device is not in use

1.2 Problem Statement

Electrical devices are vulnerable to short circuits, which leads to damage of
electrical appliance due to overvoltage. Furthermore use of power without
3
regulating results into wastage of power energy, electrical appliances regulated
power supply to reduce cases of power wastage and increase the lifespan of the
power appliance.

1.3 Objectives

The primary objective of this proposal is to:

 Develop a power supply system that can automatically turn off the power
when it is in idle mode
 Implement safety measures to protect the system from voltage spikes,
surges and other power abnormalities.
 Implement automatic voltage regulations and protection mechanism to
safeguard connected devices.

1.4 Justification
The purpose of this proposal study is to come up with a protecting device that
prevent damage of the electrical devices that occur when there is overvoltage
that can cause damage to electric appliance . This proposal provides overview
of the plan to implement power supply with auto switch mechanism protection
using relays in electrical devices. In this case it will reduce the chance of
damage to electrical devices and also prevent wastage of power energy.

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW.

In the past years many researchers tried to resolve this problem of wastage of
power by the power supply appliances that occurs when load is removed yet the
power is still being supplied, furthermore the chances of power appliances being
damaged by power surges, short circuit and other power abnormalities, in this
case many designers have come up with systems which vary the voltage
supplied to the load are implemented to resolve this problems.

4
I).Power wastage
Power wastage also known as energy waste, occurs when more energy is
consumed than necessary, leading to inefficiencies and unnecessary costs.
Several factors contribute to power wastage in various contexts like standby
power consumption in which many electronic devices consume power even
when turned off or in standby mode.

ii).voltage regulation techniques.

Voltage regulation have been a focal point in power supply, this refers to ability
of an electrical system to maintain a consistent and stable output voltage despite
variations in the input voltage or changes in the load. It is crucial aspect of
power supply systems to ensure that connected devices receive a reliable and
steady supply of electrical power.
Voltage regulation is essential for the proper functioning of electrical and
electronic devices. Most devices are designed to operate within a specific
voltage range, and deviations from this range can lead to malfunctions, data
loss, or damage to electronic appliance.

iii).Auto switching mechanism and technologies.

Auto switching mechanism play a key role in ensuring uninterrupted power
supply by seamlessly transition between different power sources .Here are some
common auto switching mechanism and technologies:
Relay-based switching
Relay-based auto switching refers the use of electromagnetic relays to
control the connection between the primary and backup power sources.
This operates in a way that when the load is removed the relay switches the
power off to prevent wastage of power or when there is short circuit at the
load the relay switches off

iv).protection mechanism in power supply

protection mechanism in power supply systems are crucial to safeguard
equipment, devices and the overall electrical infrastructure from potential
damage caused by faults ,surges and other undesirable events .here are the key
protection mechanisms commonly employed;

5
 1. Overcurrent protection; overcurrent refers when supply more
current other than the required amount into an electronic devices thus
preventing damage to conductors and devices.
2. Overvoltage protection; this refers to protection of devices against
voltage spikes or surge , supply over voltages into the sensitive
electronic equipment that can cause damage the device
3. Under voltage protection; under voltage refers to the supply of low
voltages to any electronic device which can cause damage to it

V). Main components

a) Hardware component specification.
1. Resistor; is a passive two- terminal electrical component that implements
electrical resistance as a circuit element. In electronic circuit resistors are used
to reduce current flow, adjust signal levels, to divide voltages, bias active
elements among other uses
2. Capacitor; a capacitor is a two- terminal electrical device that can store
energy in the form of an electric charge. It consists of two electrical conductors
that are separated by a distance. The space between the conductors may be filled
by vacuum or with an insulating material
3. Transistor; is a miniature semiconductor that regulates or controls current or
voltage flow in addition amplifying and generate these electrical signals and
acting like a switch or gate for them.
4. Diodes; is a two-terminal electronic components that conducts current
primarily in one direction.
5. PCB and breadboard; PCB is the small green board covered in grooves and
connections founds in almost any electronic device its full name is prototype
circuit board. A breadboard is a type of prototyping that requires no soldering
connections. This will make them less permanent compared to a PCB.
Breadboards have sockets that you push the components
6. Transformer. Is a device that transfers electric energy from one alternating
current circuit to one or more others either increasing (stepping up) or reducing
(stepping down) the voltage.
7. Relay. Is an electrically operated switch. It consist of a set of input terminals
for a single or multiple control signals and a set of operating contacts in
multiple contact

6
Existing works.
In the research presented by the electronics lab, over past few of the tutorials in
the past few years, they explored several ways to further reduce the power
consumptions for Arduino based projects so they can last for a long period of
time running on the inexpensive AAA batteries. They even used the
Atmega328p instead of an Arduino board and as the result of the tutorial, they
were able to reduce power consumption considerably. With all the techniques
used to reduce the techniques used to reduce the power, Arduino still consumed
too much current especially the amount of current drawn when the Arduino is in
the idle state. To resolve this, there is need for solution that shuts the Arduino
off when the system is idle to preserve power consumption.
This project works like most digital watches when you turn them on, it shows
you the needed information and after a while goes off to preserve the battery.
The project basically uses a transistor as a switch to connect the power lines of
Arduino to the battery.

CAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY.

The proposed system in this project prevents wastage of excess power that will
lead to high expenses where when the electrical appliances uses electrical
energy when there’s no load at the output. A power supply with an auto on-off
switch typically incorporates a mechanism to regulate power usage and turn off
when there is little or no load. The main goal of such a feature is to improve
energy efficiency and reduce standby power consumption.
Its most convenient of working is the use of load sensing where the supply
includes circuitry that can detect the amount of load connected to it. This is
often done using sensors or by monitoring the current flowing through the
circuit

7
 There is predetermined threshold level set, below which the power supply
considers the load to be minimal or non-existent. This threshold is typically
adjusted based on the specific design of the power supply.
When the load is above the set threshold, the power supply is designed to
remain on and provide power to the connected device. When the load falls
below the threshold, the auto on-off logic comes into play. Furthermore instead
of completely turning off, some power supplies enters an idle or low-power
mode when the load is below the threshold. In this state, the power supply is
still on but consumes less power. This allows for quicker response to a potential
increase in load.
In modern days the cost of power is so costly thus when the power can regulate
the power usage by turning it off when the power supply is idle or when there is
no load at the output which minimizes the amount of power used by the power
appliance thus reducing cost of power usage.

8
Block diagram.

9
3.1 Components for the integrated system

This section provides a components of devices that will be used for the
implementation and making of this project. The components and devices
selected for this project was based on the required attributes for the system, i.e.
efficiency of the power supply device , robustness, lower power consumptions
which will reduce the cost of power use, low cost of the components.

10
The building components for this power supply device include;
 Resistor
 Capacitors
 Transistors
 Cables and connector
 Diodes
 PCB and bread boards
 LED
 Transformer / adapter
 Push buttons
 Switch
 Relay
 Lamp

i) Transformer

This device that transfers electric energy from one alternating-current circuit to
one or more other circuits, either increasing (stepping up) or reducing (stepping
down) the voltage. Transformers are employed for widely varying purposes;
e.g., to reduce the voltage of conventional power circuits to operate low-voltage
devices, such as doorbells and toy electric trains, and to raise the voltage from
electric generators so that electric power can be transmitted over long distances.
In this power supply the transformer would be used to maintain the voltage of a
power supply source within acceptable limits.

11
 Fig.1 Transformer

ii) Resistor

A resistor is a passive two-terminal electrical component that implements

electrical resistance as a circuit element. In this project or any electrical device
resistors are used to reduce current flow. Fixed resistors have resistance have
resistance that only change slightly with temperature, time or operating voltage.

12
Fig.3.2 resistors

High power resistors that can dissipate many watts of electrical power as heat
are not advisable to be used in this project simply because it consumes more
power thus increasing wastage of power.

iii) Transistors
In this circuit of a system of power supply transistors are used to regulate or
controls current or voltage flow. In addition they act as a switch /gate for gate
for them. Typically, transistors consist of three layers, or terminals of a
semiconductor material, each of which can carry a current.
Transistors are important for on its own, a transistor has only one circuit
element .in small quantities, transistors are used to create simple electronic
switches

13
Fig. 3.3 transistor

The very basic working principle of a transistor is based on controlling the flow
of current through one channel by varying the intensity of a smaller current
that’s flowing through a second channel.

iv) PCB and Breadboards

PCB refers to a printed circuit board also called printed wiring board which is
a medium used to connect or wire components to one another in a circuit. It
takes a the form of a laminated sandwich structure of conductive and
insulating layers: each of the conductive layers is designed with an artwork
pattern of traces, planes and other features etched from one or more sheet
layers of copper laminated onto or between sheet layers of a non-conductive
substrate. Electrical components may be fixed to conductive pads on the outer
layers in the shape designed to accept the components terminals, generally by
means of soldering, to both electrically connect and mechanically fasten them to
it.
PCBs can be single sided (one copper layer), double sided (two copper layers on
both sides of one substrate layer)
For this project we are using the single-sided (one copper layer)
The figure below shows a one sided printed circuit board.

14
Fig.3.4 printed circuit board.

Breadboard on the hand is a solderless breadboard or protoboard is a

construction base used to build semi- permanent prototypes of electronic
circuits. Unlike a per board or stripboard, breadboards do not require soldering
or destructions of tracks and are hence reusable. For this reason breadboards are
also popular with students and in technological education.
In my project all the connections would be done on a breadboard which would
make it easy and also lower the cost of production. The figure below shows a
breadboard

Fig 3.5 breadboard

15
 v) Relay.
In this project the relay is the main component which controls the working of
this power supply. A relay is an electrically operated switch, it consists of a set
of input terminals for a single or multiple control signals, and set of contact in
multiple contact forms, such as make contacts, break contacts, or combinations.
It consists of a coil, which receives an electric signal and converts it to a
mechanical action and contact that open and close the electric circuit.
This relay cuts off the power whenever the electrical appliance at the output is
removed thus saving power that could have been wasted by the electrical
appliance during idle mode. The figure below shows

Fig. 3.6 relay

vi) Swicth
This is an electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical components that can
disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, its used in this
project to disconnect the output part alone. The figure below shows an electrical
switch

16
Fig.3.7 switch

vii) Capacitor
A capacitor is a two-terminal electrical device that can store energy in the form
of an electrical charge. It consist of two electrical conductors that are
separated by a distance. The space between the conductors may be filled by
vacuum or with an insulating materials known as a dielectric. The ability of the
capacitor to store charges is known as capacitance.
In this project we connect a DC voltage source across the capacitor, one plate is
connected to the positive end and the other to the negative end. The current tries
to flow through the capacitor at a steady-state condition from its positive plate
to its negative plate. The figure shows a capacitor.

Fig.3.8 capacitor

viii) Diodes
A diode is a two- terminal electronic component that conducts electricity
primarilly in one direction. It has high resistance on one end and low resistance
on the other end. We use it in my project as it protect circuits by limiting the
voltage and to also transform AC to DC.

The figure below shows an image of a diode.

17
Fig.3.9 diodes

ix) Led
This is a lght emitting diode which glows when a voltage is applied. It is used
to indicate whenever there is voltage flow within the circuit. In thi project when
lamp at the output is turned on the led should glow and turns off when the load
at the output is removed or when the power supply is iddle. The figure below
shows an image of LED.

Fig. 4.0 led

MODE OF OPERATION
This system is a type of power supply that’s made so that it monitors the
amount of current through the circuit , the relay is connected in the circuit

18
which disconnects whenever there is overvoltage flow the power supply thus
protecting the electrical device from damage.
The main purpose of this circuit was to come up with a power supply that
switches off the power when the power appliance at the output is turned off or
is in iddle mode. It consist of conection of series of diodes, resistors, capacitors
and relays that are connected to work in conjunction to accomplish the working
of this power supplier.

ALGORITHM
1. Start
2. Put on the load switch
3. The led glows indicating that there is flow of currents through the circuit.
4. Turn off the load switch
5. The led switches off and don’t glow indicating there is no flow of currents
through the circuit
6. Stop

CHAPTER FOUR: EXPECTED RESULTS/OUTPUT

At the end of the project, the system is expected to perform a different task
which will help us meet specific objectives. Wastage of power by ecetrical
aplliances when they are in iddle mode has been a problem, another problem
that has been hindering electrical department is overvoltage where some of the
power appliances are being with voltage that’s above the rating of the power
appliance hence leading to short circuit and destroying the power appliance or
the power supplier.
According to our system the relay embedded system will act as the center
system where it acts responsible where it cuts off the power when the power
supply is in iddle mode thus preventing wastage of power by the power
appliance when its in iddle mode.
In addition , when there is an overvoltage along the power supply ,in order to
prevent damage to the power appliance at the output end brought by the

19
overvoltage the relay cuts off the current thus safeguarding the power
appliance

REFERENCE
1) Nevonprojects.com
2) Y.F.LI,and sue
3) http.//ijarlie.com

20