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Renewable energy sources are occupying an increasingly important place, and the advantages of their use are numerous. Bosnia and Herzegovina with its water wealth has a huge potential, and one of the ways to efficiently use this resource are small hydropower plants. These hydroelectric power plants, in addition to supplying the population with electricity, regulate the watercourse, create the possibility for irrigation, sport and commercial fishing. Also, they have minimal negative impact on the environment and do not require the construction of large dams. One of the most important characteristics in the construction of small hydropower plants is that they have a significant contribution to the development of economic activity in remote and underdeveloped areas, and their construction takes much shorter.

According to estimates, there are currently about 70 small hydropower plants in our country. With the aim of preventive action, maintenance, prevention of accidents and damage, it is very important that a system that converts hydropower into electricity has a device that will monitor the condition of hydropower plants, its parameters and enable feedback to the user. All this was the inspiration for Arnel Maksumić, a first-year master's student at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Džemal Bijedić University in Mostar, for the development of a system for monitoring the operating parameters of small hydropower plants.

Easy to use
"This device enables monitoring of the temperature in the bearings, the number of revolutions of the generator shaft, the power of the hydroelectric power plant and the storage of data on the portable memory. The device is made using the Arduino platform and the necessary sensors that are placed in appropriate places in the small hydropower plant. The assembly and the used technologies of the device are maximally simplified so that their use is accessible to a large number of users without additional instructions and instructions. By starting the device, sensors are collected to collect data that reach the user via a microcontroller. Based on these data, the user receives information on the condition of the plant and whether all parameters are within the permitted limits. In the event that a parameter is not within the prescribed limits, the user is given enough time to react and prevent the occurrence of failures and breakdowns, which entails economic benefits. If the user is not currently present, the data is recorded in memory and can then be used for certain analyzes ", says Arnel Maksumić, the creator of this system, for Business magazine.

The device is currently being built for a prototype small hydropower plant that can be used to supply cottages and some smaller facilities with electricity.
"The biggest advantage of this device is its possibility of adjustment, so that it can be used for various plants of small hydro power plants, where one day, I hope, it will be found. It is also characterized by a relatively low price, mobility and space to increase its capabilities, as well as use for educational purposes, "adds Maksumic.

He got the idea for making this system precisely because of the fact that small hydropower plants are an efficient way to produce electricity. During his studies, Maksumić and his colleagues made a prototype of a small hydropower plant, which was just the beginning, after which he wanted to modernize and improve the plant.
"The product of that idea is a device like this, which is of great importance for such a plant. Of course, during the realization of the original idea, others also appeared, which in the end resulted in a device that has significantly greater possibilities than the originally imagined device. The period from the idea to the finished project lasted for about six to seven months of passive work, due to study obligations and other activities ", adds Maksumić.

Professor support
Thanks to what he learned at the faculty, as well as the knowledge acquired while doing a hobby in the field of mechatronics, Maksumić independently made this device. The biggest support was the professors of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering from Mostar, doc.dr. Emir Nezirić and associate prof.dr. Safet Isić who helped him with their knowledge and expertise where it was needed. The only difficulty he encountered during the work was the unavailability of the necessary parts in our area, which resulted in the procurement of parts that did not originally correspond to the intended purpose and needed to be adjusted. In addition, it took up to a month to procure some parts, which affected the speed of work.
Maksumić also felt on his skin that innovators in BiH do not have support, and that is exactly the biggest problem that our young, promising people face.

"The main, and already well-known problem in BiH, both for innovators and students, is insufficient support from management structures in the form of funds for the development and launch of business ideas. Also, the existing educational institutions and their curriculum do not follow modern trends and technologies, so students are forced to engage in extracurricular activities if they want to be in the trend of science and technology, "explains Maksumić.
So far, a group of professors from BiH, including associate professor, has shown interest in the further development of this system. dr. Safet Isić, who is preparing a book in the field of mechatronics, and part of the project is mentioned in that book.
Maksumić will not stop at this, he will continue to work on perfecting this product because it is currently only a device for monitoring parameters.

"As a next step, using even more sensors and actuators, I try to turn this condition monitoring device into a plant management and automation system, so that users can access the plant condition and stop it at any time and in any place. in case of some irregularities in work. In addition to this device, I have some other projects under consideration, for which I have already started collecting the necessary information. After the finalization of the product that will be able to meet the needs of companies, of course, there is an opportunity to find investors as well as companies that will practically use my product, "said Maksumic.
Competitions are opportunities to find investors

Maksumić participated for the second time in the Sarajevo Innovation Festival, which was organized by the Students' Association of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering Steleks Sarajevo at the end of October last year. Student innovations were presented at the Festival, whose innovation and presentation were evaluated by reviewers. There was also an educational part, ie. workshop Cultural Heritage in Virtual Reality, where guests and participants had the opportunity to walk over the Old Bridge and even jump off it.

"Participation in such festivals enables the establishment of cooperation among students from different fields and spaces, the exchange of opinions and ideas, as well as the exposure of student innovations. Also, participation opens the possibility of recognizing innovations by employers and the contact with them, which greatly affects our competitiveness in the market ", says Maksumić.

(Source: www.business-magazine.ba)