Remote monitoring system to measure the temperature of small wind power using power line communication – PLC technology. M. Rosa 1 , R. Marcelino 2 , V. Gruber 3 , L. Schaeffer 4 , Silva J.B. 5 1 SATC/Telecomunication, Criciúma, Brazil 2 UFSC/Industrial Automation, Criciúma, Brazil 3 UFSC/Telecomunication, Criciúma, Brazil 4 UFRGS/ Metallurgy, Porto Alegre, Brazil 5 UFSC/Informatics, Araranguá, Brazil Abstract – This article presents the development of a monitoring and supervision system using power line communication technology and the data acquisition system. This was done by research and case study at laboratories of Faculdade SATC, using a web microserver with the power line to transmit and receive data through PLC (Power Line Communication) technology as a solution for remote monitoring. The variable to be controlled will be wind turbine temperature which for laboratory purposes was simulated by heating a resistor. After the prototype was made, tests were performed comparing the PLC technology and the LAN network in two different environments: residential and industrial. The network behavior was analyzed using a network analysis software in which a few parameters were established to represent network performance in sending and receiving data from the monitoring system. The data obtained by this study showed satisfactory results of the PLC technology compared to the LAN network, confirming the possibility of using this technology in remote monitoring systems, thus allowing increased reliability and operational convenience. Key Words –Wind Power, PLC, Remote Experiments I. INTRODUCTION Control and supervision systems have proved very important in production systems. The need to acquire information to be placed in several locations at the same time, with real time results constantly increases the presence of data communication networks in production processes, suggesting a ceaseless search for new techniques and ways of establishing this communication (CAPELLI, 2007). Research in several areas of energy production grew apace as the need for renewable energy sources arose. This form of sustainable development is outstanding for its low environmental impacts and an inexhaustible source of wind energy (BALARINE, 2009). In this article we present a study on a prototype of a system to acquire and monitor data using communication via PLC- Power Line Communication, applied to monitoring and supervising the rotor temperature of a small wind turbine. The purpose is to acquire and analyze this information on wind turbine operation in order to generate rapid, reliable information providing an easily accessed data base. The data generated by the variable monitored will be placed on the worldwide computer network, WEB, increasing the perception of the current status of the process, enabling the continuous evaluation of operational conditions without the need to travel to the area where the system is installed, thus reducing costs, response time, and action at a distance on the equipment monitored, as well as ensuring greater reliability of the results achieved. Distance monitoring aims at making planning production fast and flexible throughout the supply chain, so that it will be possible to obtain rapid responses to changes and delays at different points in the chain. Analysis of the information obtained allows diagnosing problems during a process and correcting them easily and speedily (BENAISSA et.al., 2004) II. OBJECTIVES AND MOTIVATION The motivation arose from previous research done at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul –UFRGS (Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul). It began with a project for the development of a small wind power for the Brazilian market. Once the research had been done, questions arose about its maintenance. At this time, research began on how to monitor these small wind turbines, in line with the proposal of this study. The main objective of this work is to study and develop a system to acquire data, monitor and supervise the temperature of a small wind turbine rotor through a simulation prototype using the PLC Networks to communicate. The stages of this project can be seen in the flowchart below, by order of priorities envisioned: Monitoring the variable temperature of a wind power motor; Data acquisition using on-board systems; Transmission of the data on the variable monitored through the electricity grid; Management and storage of data obtained using software; Posting on the world wide web; Implementation of distant control actions. REV2012 04 - 06 July, Bilbao www.rev-conference.org 271