The future of fuel cell power is becoming very efficient, clean energy source. Compared to conventional energy sources today, fuel cell has many advantages noted. The fuel cell comes from a renewable resource can be extracted from a number of elements: hydrogen. The conversion of hydrogen into electricity without pollution, the traditional method of electricity generation not only need to use non-renewable fuels, would cause pollution. These characteristics are fuel cells as future automotive, commercial, residential, mobile and many other electrical applications, many possible causes of the energy of the two most important. NF343 G1947
Currently, National Instruments (National Instruments, NI called) offers a number of computer-based test and measurement products to assist scientists and engineers to conduct research on fuel cells, design, verification and testing production. NI is the worldwide leader in software based on the measure, most major manufacturers of fuel cells are at various stages of development using NI hardware and software tools to test the fuel cell. These test tools in many types of fuel cell production and testing are essential, including proton exchange membrane (PEM), phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC) and solid oxide fuel cells solid (SOFC).
Systems integrator NI – is located in Calgary, Canada Advanced Measurements has computer test using NI measurement products and automation, has developed a line of PEM and SOFC fuel cell test system for the design, validation and product testing. RN873 Y6142
What is a fuel cell?
All the basics of working fuel cells is the same: the chemical energy of hydrogen into electricity. He has developed several types of fuel cell technology. In addition to PEM, PAFC and SOFC, there are alkaline fuel cell (AFC) fuel cells and molten carbonate (MC). PEM fuel cells because of their relatively low operating temperature and greater efficiency is widely used in the automotive industry. Figure 3 shows the PEM fuel cell works.
Because a single cell can produce more than 1V of voltage, most applications require multiple stacks. The same as normal cells by a number of series fuel cell stack is to achieve greater power. Some of the fuel cell that contains thousands of individual cells, to produce vehicles, commercial and industrial applications requiring high voltage and high current. hp Pavilion dv2000 battery hp Pavilion dv6000 battery
System testing fuel cell
In research and development (R & D) applications for testing fuel cells is to determine and optimize the efficiency of the function, and prolong battery life and ruggedness. In the validation phase, the main objective is to optimize the design to prepare for mass production, as well as in the case without diminishing the effectiveness of reducing the cost of the battery. For manufacturing applications, the stack trace is to ensure they meet design specifications. Research, development or manufacture of the fuel cell scientists and engineers need a variety of measurement, monitoring, analysis and visualization tools to evaluate and validate fuel cell technology.
Fuel cell systems for the test should accurately monitor and control hundreds of measures, ranging from hydrogen fuel flow, temperature, pressure and humidity on the output voltage of fuel cells and current . The test system must be able to monitor and control the operation of fuel cells in all cases, and access accurate real-time performance and operating characteristics of such information. The test system must also have the possibility of data acquisition, monitoring and control capability to precisely control the labor and fuel cell testing. Figure 4 shows that Advanced Measurements developed for the system to solid oxide fuel cell test. hp Pavilion DV1000 battery hp Pavilion dv4000 battery
Engineers are constantly new methods to the test in their constant search for reliable, accurate test systems using flexible and shorten the development cycle, improve quality and reduce costs, develop the next generation fuel cell.
Measurement Problems
Fuel cell systems have the test to complete the packaging needs of measurement signals, then the original signal from the data acquisition system capable of scanning. cell fuel cell is an important element of the test isolate. Each cell can produce about 1 volt in a PEM films stacked together to provide a higher voltage, so that the battery voltage up to 10 volts. high-capacity battery stack with hundreds to hundreds of volts discharge requirements measure of common mode voltage. Therefore, the test should not only have multiple channels are able to read 1-10 volts, but also need to maintain the reactor power first and last up to several hundred volts isolation between the battery . system testing fuel cells as the number of channels 100-1000 more so the data acquisition system must also be able to develop. These systems also require signal attenuation and can be expanded. For today’s test systems, modular is also required. Your system must be able to check the production and technological change and transformation. Any test system should be calibrated to ensure an accurate and effective. Inspiron 8600 battery Inspiron 9200 battery
The above principles can clearly see that not only monitor the voltage to determine the characteristics of fuel cells and the control of fuel cells. Must also control the output current. Because the output current can be very high, so often used to monitor the Hall sensor, so that engineers can safely monitor the current through the wire. This method requires that the signal conditioning and calibration to transform the data to the current value. PEM fuel cell to another important parameter is temperature. To produce electricity efficiently, PEM fuel cells should be 60-80 ° C (140-175 ° F) in the range. The goal is to optimize the temperature changes the temperature monitor, improve the power output. Thermocouples and resistance temperature detectors (RTD) is to monitor the battery temperature and good temperature probe gas. In many applications, the higher air pressure, this pressure must be controlled and managed. Pressure through the signal conditioning pressure sensor to measure and conduct, hydrogen and air flow is proportional to the general use of air mass flow pulses measured. Thereafter, the pulse counter / timer interface board to control and use the software to convert the traffic. Electronic controller can rig output voltage or current to control the pressure and flow. Inspiron 9300 battery Inspiron 9400 battery