DefinePK

Abstract

Power distribution companies in Nigeria incur losses of billions due to the vandalization of transformers, electrical cables, and other valuable electrical components. To combat this abnormality, an Internet of Things (IoT)-based Surveillance Security System is proposed. The aim is to provide better security services for electrical transformers. The proposed system, called the ITB-Approach, integrates Internet of Things (IoT) and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technologies to offer enhanced security services for electrical transformers. The system has the capability to distinguish between EEDC staff and intruders by reading their identification codes, names, and other details on the RFID card through the RFID card reader and sending them as IoT notifications to stakeholders, including the location of the transformer, date, and time. The system uses the ESP8266 NodeMCU Wi-Fi module as the central microcontroller and RFID technology for identification and access control for EEDC staff whose identity is verified by the system. The microcontroller is programmed with embedded C++ to perform all logic and computations. The system is connected to the internet through the wireless technology integrated into the NodeMCU and an IoT platform called Blynk. With the Blynk application, the system can monitor the state of the transformer and send notifications to the registered phone numbers of security agents. It is hoped that the ITB-Approach system, when adopted, will help reduce or prevent the vandalization of electrical transformers.