Country of Residence
United States
Age
19
Project title
Shunt gun
Project Summary: Describe your project in one sentence
This project presents a microcontroller-based shunt-gun system using a thyristor. It reviews shunts, SCR operation and current sensing. An Arduino Nano monitors current through a shunt and triggers the thyristor at a set threshold. A capacitor and inductor provide forced commutation to interrupt DC current. The study describes the design, operation and test results. It identifies limitations, including a fixed threshold and no wireless monitoring or data logging, and recommends a custom PCB.
Website URL(s) or social media handles.
Project Category
My project is a brand new / emerging idea
Project Stage
Growth (We’ve moved past the very first activities and are beginning to have consistent weekly or monthly impact)
Founding Story: What was the spark that led you to start your project? What was the "Aha!" moment that led you to get started and see the potential for this to succeed?
The project began as a final-year Computer Engineering research project focused on improving the speed and flexibility of conventional DC switching and protection systems. While studying relays, fuses and semiconductor switching, I recognised that electromechanical relays can respond slowly, fuses must be replaced after operation, and fixed analogue circuits are difficult to adjust. This led to the idea of combining a programmable microcontroller with a thyristor to create a faster, reusable and controllable switching system. The project became an opportunity to apply classroom knowledge of embedded systems, power electronics and circuit design to a practical engineering challenge.
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve? Why does it matter to you and your community?
Conventional DC switching and protection methods have limitations. Electromechanical relays may take tens of milliseconds to operate and are subject to contact arcing and mechanical wear. Fuses are single-use components that require replacement after operation, while fixed analogue circuits offer limited flexibility when operating conditions change. These limitations can delay fault response, increase maintenance and expose electrical components to damaging current. There is a need for a faster, reusable and programmable system that can monitor current and respond when a preset limit is exceeded.
Your Solution: How are you solving this problem? Share your specific solution.
The project combines an Arduino Nano based on the ATmega328P, a current-sensing shunt, a thyristor and a forced-commutation network. The microcontroller monitors the voltage across the shunt and uses its analogue-to-digital converter to determine when the preset current threshold has been reached. It then sends a gate-trigger pulse to the thyristor to initiate switching. Because a thyristor in a DC circuit does not turn off naturally at a zero crossing, a capacitor and inductor provide forced commutation. The circuit was designed and tested in Proteus before a hardware prototype was assembled on Veroboard. The system also includes a flyback transformer stage, push button and LED status indicator.
Impact: How has your project created impact / made a difference so far? Or, if at an early stage, what will impact look like?
The project has progressed from circuit design and simulation to a working hardware prototype. Proteus simulation verified the interaction of the main circuit sections, and hardware tests confirmed microcontroller operation, successful thyristor switching and operation of the indicators and push button. The report records a 12 V input, a 5 V Arduino supply and a high-voltage output reported as 48 kV. The estimated control response time is approximately 111 microseconds. The project has not yet been deployed in a community or reached external users; its next impact goal is to develop and validate a more robust prototype for suitable DC power applications.
Your Innovation: What is different about your project compared to other programs or solutions already out there? How is your project new or innovative?
The project applies a programmable ATmega328P microcontroller to supervise a thyristor-based DC shunt-gun system. Rather than relying only on a mechanical relay, replaceable fuse or fixed analogue circuit, it combines current sensing, a programmable trip threshold and semiconductor switching. Its use of forced commutation addresses a key challenge of using a thyristor on a DC supply, where there is no natural current zero crossing to turn the device off. The design brings sensing, decision-making and switching together in a compact prototype, with an estimated response time of 111 microseconds. Future development can add adjustable thresholds and remote monitoring.
How many people are on your team?
3
Your team: What role(s) do your team members play? How do you share leadership with them?
I led the project as the Computer Engineering student, working on the research, circuit design, simulation, implementation and testing. Engr. Dr. Boma provided academic supervision, while Engr. Isaac C. Amadi supported the prototype development. The project was completed with technical guidance and practical collaboration.
What’s Next: What are the next steps you plan to take to grow or strengthen your project over the next year? If your project is still in the idea stage, describe the steps you will take over the next three months to launch or begin developing it.
Over the next year, I plan to strengthen the prototype and prepare it for more extensive testing. The first step is to transfer the Veroboard circuit to a custom printed circuit board to improve durability and reliability. I also plan to make the overcurrent threshold adjustable without reprogramming the microcontroller, investigate closed-loop control, and add wireless or IoT-based monitoring for remote status reporting, alerts and event logging. Further testing will assess response, stability and performance under different load conditions. I will also seek guidance and partnerships with electrical and computer engineering experts to evaluate suitable applications and improve the design before any field deployment.a
How do you encourage other people to join your project or learn about the problem you’re working on? If you have a new idea, tell us how you will do this in the future.
So far, the project has primarily been developed and evaluated as an academic engineering prototype, so I do not have a verified number of community members or external users reached. I plan to share the project through demonstrations, technical presentations and discussions with students, lecturers and engineering practitioners. These activities will explain the limitations of conventional DC protection methods and introduce the potential of programmable semiconductor switching. I also hope to involve other students in testing and improving the prototype, and to seek feedback from people working with DC power systems.
