Development and testing of a hybrid distribution board

Abstract

The intermittent power supply in the country has given rise to the use of direct current (DC) source as a substitute, however, most devices such as LED lamps, refrigerators, television, and radios are available in DC nowadays and cannot be connected to the conventional mains supply without the help of other devices like AC to DC converters. This prompts the need for a hybrid distribution board capable of supplying AC and DC concurrently to a final sub-circuit of an electrical installation of a building where DC and AC devices are required. Major components used are an isolator, miniature circuit breakers, and a rectifying module that convert a section of the AC source to the correct voltage level to power the DC load. The design was implemented and tested on a demonstration board having two separate circuitry loads installed on it. The circuitry loads are DC and AC, the DC load is comprised of a 5W DC bulb controlled with a gang switch, while the second circuitry is comprised of a 13A single socket outlet and a 10W LED lamp controlled with a gang switch. The result shows that both the DC and AC output works perfectly which when encourage will minimise power consumption and make provision for the connection of DC appliances without the use of external converter and step-down transformers.