Customer
Infinity Fuel Cell & Hydrogen, Inc., located in Windsor, CT, develops and manufactures regenerative fuel cell backup power stations. These power stations use solar power to generate hydrogen and store it for fuel cells to use during a power deficit.
Challenge
Infinity Fuel Cell & Hydrogen, Inc. was in need of a standalone monitoring and control system which would manage all of the power station’s activities. These activities included electrolyzer and fuel cell switching, power consumption management, safety monitoring, and emergency shutdowns.
Features
- NI LabVIEW and LabVIEW Real Time
- Integrates with existing hardware
- Uses only solar power for electrolysis
- Electrolyzes only during daytime
- Allows emergency shutdown options
- Monitors safety conditions
- Operates in headless mode
System Hardware
- NI compact FieldPoint ◦cFP-2120: Ethernet Network Controller
- cFP-1808, 1804: Network Interface Modules
- cFP-TC-120: Thermocouple Inputs
- cFP-AI-118: Analog Inputs - Low Voltage
- cFP-AI-102: Analog Inputs - High Voltage
- cFP-AO-210: Analog Outputs - Voltage
- cFP-DI-330: Digital Inputs
- cFP-RLY-421: Form A Relays
- NI ENET-RS232 and ENET-RS485 modules
- Electrolyzer modules
- Fuel Cell modules
- DC/DC Converters
- Hydrogen tanks and flow control plumbing
- Batteries and power flow control
Results
Bloomy used NI hardware and LabVIEW to efficiently develop a completely integrated control system for a regenerative fuel cell backup power station. The control hardware and algorithms were developed and delivered on time to provide the needed station management. The designed algorithms provided solutions such as ensuring sufficient solar power for electrolysis all the way to proper safety shutdown sequences. Infinity Fuel Cell & Hydrogen, Inc. shipped the regenerative fuel cell system to their end customer on time.