Knowing what's happening inside a fuel cell is a critical function, especially as fuel cells are continuing to be developed. One important aspect of this is to measure the voltage of each cell in a stack. Although this may sound trivial, it can be more complex and more expensive than it may at first appear due to high voltages, high channel counts, communication types, etc. There are a few products commercially available that are designed specifically for fuel cell voltage monitoring.
You can find the Cell Voltage Monitors (CVMs) and other electronic measurement devices currently available on our webstore. One feature that set CVMs apart from other, more mainstream data acquisition systems is the fact that the signal side is completely isolated and electrically floating relative to the communication and power supply portion of the electronics. This allows high voltage stacks to be measured and the capability of cascading multiple CVMs together to measure the large numbers of cells in high voltage stacks. All of the units listed have this ability.
Another important feature in a CVM system is high-speed acquisition. This is especially important in systems with high cell counts since most CVM systems measure each channel in sequence and the larger the stack the longer it takes to measure all the cells. This allows the researcher to closely analyze any voltage anomalies during load transients, regardless of the number of cells being monitored.
The third important aspect in measuring fuel cell voltages is accuracy. Accuracy, in conjunction with speed, allows the control system (or the researcher) to better diagnose what is happening inside the fuel cell. Voltage characteristics of the cells can provide information about the humidification of each cell, the health of the catalyst, which cells may be exhibiting crossover, and a myriad of other information important to the operation of the fuel cell. There are a number of ways to ensure accurate voltage measurements. Accuracy begins with noise reduction and equipment selection. The CVM should be placed as close to the fuel cell being tested as possible, minimizing the cable length between the CVM and the fuel cell. This will reduce the amount of noise picked up by the cables and transmitted to the CVM. In addition, the CVM must be selected to provide as much accuracy as possible – It is far easier to filter and smooth a high accuracy signal than it is to try to obtain additional accuracy later.
These are the primary drivers of CVM selection, although many other factors may come into play: available communication standards, removable storage options, size, power consumption, etc. Overall, the total cost to implement the solution must be considered. Even if the unit cost may be slightly less for one unit, be aware of what other necessary components would cost, such as cabling, software, LabView drivers, etc. The FuelCellsEtc Cell Voltage Monitor includes all software and LabView drivers in the initial price while the cable is designed for a simple, low-cost IDC style connector and ribbon cable (similar to a hard-drive cable), resulting in an overall lowest cost solution even while providing superior performance characteristics than other solutions.
Kujua nini kinachotokea ndani ya seli ya mafuta ni kazi muhimu, hasa kama seli za mafuta zinaendelea kuendelezwa. Sehemu moja muhimu ya hii ni kupima voltage ya kila kiini katika stack. Ingawa hii inaweza kuonekana trivial, inaweza kuwa ngumu zaidi na ghali zaidi kuliko inaweza kuonekana kwa sababu ya voltage ya juu, idadi ya juu ya njia, aina ya mawasiliano, na kadhalika. Kuna bidhaa chache zinazopatikana kibiashara ambazo zimetengenezwa hasa kwa ajili ya ufuatiliaji wa voltage ya seli ya mafuta. Unaweza kupata Cell Voltage Monitors (CVMs) na vifaa vingine vya kipimo cha elektroniki vinavyopatikana sasa kwenye duka letu la wavuti. Moja ya vipengele kwamba kuweka CVMs mbali na nyingine, zaidi ya kawaida mifumo ya upatikanaji wa data ni ukweli kwamba upande ishara ni kabisa kutengwa na umeme kuelea kuhusiana na mawasiliano na umeme usambazaji sehemu ya vifaa vya umeme. Hii inaruhusu high voltage stacks kupimwa na uwezo wa cascading CVMs nyingi pamoja kupima idadi kubwa ya seli katika high voltage stacks. Vipande vyote vilivyoorodheshwa vina uwezo huu. Kipengele kingine muhimu katika mfumo wa CVM ni upatikanaji wa kasi. Hii ni muhimu hasa katika mifumo yenye idadi kubwa ya seli, kwani mifumo mingi ya CVM hupima kila kituo kwa mfululizo, na ikiwa stack ni kubwa, inachukua muda mrefu kupima seli zote. Hii inaruhusu mtafiti kuchambua kwa karibu yoyote voltage anomalies wakati mzigo transients, bila kujali idadi ya seli kuwa kufuatiliwa. Jambo la tatu muhimu katika kupima voltage ya seli ya mafuta ni usahihi. Usahihi, pamoja na kasi, inaruhusu mfumo wa kudhibiti (au mtafiti) kugundua vizuri kile kinachotokea ndani ya seli ya mafuta. Vipengele vya voltage vya seli zinaweza kutoa habari kuhusu unyevu wa kila seli, afya ya kichocheo, ambayo seli inaweza kuwa na crossover, na habari nyingine nyingi muhimu kwa uendeshaji wa seli ya mafuta. Kuna njia kadhaa za kuhakikisha vipimo sahihi vya voltage. Usahihi huanza na kupunguza kelele na kuchagua vifaa. CVM lazima kuwekwa karibu na seli ya mafuta ya mtihani, ikipunguza urefu wa kebo kati ya CVM na seli ya mafuta. Hii itapunguza kiasi cha kelele picked up na cables na kupitishwa kwa CVM. Kwa kuongezea, CVM lazima ichaguliwe kutoa usahihi mwingi iwezekanavyo - Ni rahisi sana kuchuja na kusawazisha ishara ya usahihi wa juu kuliko kujaribu kupata usahihi wa ziada baadaye. Hii ni sababu kuu ya kuchagua CVM, ingawa sababu nyingine nyingi zinaweza kuingilia: viwango vya mawasiliano vinavyopatikana, chaguzi za kuhifadhi zinazoweza kuondolewa, ukubwa, matumizi ya nguvu, nk. Kwa ujumla, gharama ya jumla ya kutekeleza suluhisho lazima kuzingatiwa. Hata kama gharama ya kitengo inaweza kuwa kidogo chini kwa kitengo kimoja, kuwa na ufahamu wa nini vipengele vingine muhimu ingekuwa gharama, kama vile wiring, programu, LabView madereva, nk. FuelCell Etc Cell Voltage Monitor inajumuisha programu zote na madereva ya LabView katika bei ya awali, wakati kebo imebuniwa kwa kifaa rahisi, cha gharama nafuu cha aina ya IDC na kebo ya mkanda (kama vile kebo ya gari ngumu), na kusababisha suluhisho la gharama ya chini zaidi, hata wakati wa kutoa sifa bora za utendaji kuliko suluhisho zingine.