Hardware/Software Data Acquisition System for Real Time Cell Temperature Monitoring in Air-Cooled Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells

Francisca Segura,José Andújar,Veronica Bartolucci

doi:10.3390/s17071600

Francisca Segura, José Andújar + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/s17071600

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Journal: Sensors	Publication Date: Jul 9, 2017
Citations: 12	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Universidad de Huelva, Marche Polytechnic University

Abstract

This work presents a hardware/software data acquisition system developed for monitoring the temperature in real time of the cells in Air-Cooled Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells (AC-PEFC). These fuel cells are of great interest because they can carry out, in a single operation, the processes of oxidation and refrigeration. This allows reduction of weight, volume, cost and complexity of the control system in the AC-PEFC. In this type of PEFC (and in general in any PEFC), the reliable monitoring of temperature along the entire surface of the stack is fundamental, since a suitable temperature and a regular distribution thereof, are key for a better performance of the stack and a longer lifetime under the best operating conditions. The developed data acquisition (DAQ) system can perform non-intrusive temperature measurements of each individual cell of an AC-PEFC stack of any power (from watts to kilowatts). The stack power is related to the temperature gradient; i.e., a higher power corresponds to a higher stack surface, and consequently higher temperature difference between the coldest and the hottest point. The developed DAQ system has been implemented with the low-cost open-source platform Arduino, and it is completed with a modular virtual instrument that has been developed using NI LabVIEW. Temperature vs time evolution of all the cells of an AC-PEFC both together and individually can be registered and supervised. The paper explains comprehensively the developed DAQ system together with experimental results that demonstrate the suitability of the system.

Highlights

The problem this paper attempts to resolve is the monitoring in a reliable way of the cell temperature across the entire stack surface of a Polymer Electrolyte FuelCell (PEFC)
The experiment hasstack been to conducted using theprofile, test bench shown in Figure aim istemperature to subject subject the Air-Cooled Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells (AC-Polymer Electrolyte FuelCell (PEFC))
The the stack thewill stack to a changing load profile, Figure, so the stack temperature will rise rise according to load demand

Summary

Introduction

The problem this paper attempts to resolve is (at least the proposal by the authors) the monitoring in a reliable way of the cell temperature across the entire stack surface of a Polymer Electrolyte FuelCell (PEFC). Within the range of fuel cells, PEFCs are a promising technology to produce electricity from hydrogen for stationary power generation due to their operational strengths, such as high power. Sensors 2017, 17, 1600 density, low 17, operating temperature, low corrosion, quiet operation, stack design simplification, Sensors 2017, relatively quick startup and shutdown, and especially their zero emission capability [2]. Density, low operating temperature, low corrosion, quiet operation, design simplification, PEFC technology is becoming more and more important because stack it is suitable for a wide range relatively quick startup and shutdown, and especially their zero emission capability [2].and lately it is of applications, including portable, stationary and automotive power delivery [3].

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