Design of microcontroller based PID algorithm for current control and automating the capacity test of class 1 power supplies used in nuclear applications

Class 1 power supplies used in Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) have to be tested periodically to monitor its healthiness. Lead acid cells are mostly used in all these systems due to their high discharge capacity and maintainability. This paper explains the development of automated battery discharge testing system (BDTS) for performing the capacity test of lead acid batteries using PIC microcontrollers. A custom load was designed as a part of automating the capacity test. Discharge current was measured using a hall based current sensor and controlled through a PID controller. Battery parameters were logged in real time and recorded for future investigations.