Acumentrics Fuel Cell System and Remote Terminal Setup

Transcription

Houston Advanced Research Center
Acumentrics
Fuel Cell
System and
Remote
Terminal Setup
Report
TB: 10-00-01
March 2006
The Center of Fuel Cells
Research and Applications
a program of Houston Advanced
Research Center
4800 Research Forest Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77381
Phone: 281-364-4010; Email: [email protected]
TB-10-01: Acumentrics Fuel Cell System and Remote
Terminal Unit Set Up Report
CONFIDENTIAL THROUGH MARCH 2008
Confidentiality
This report is confidential to the Houston Advanced Research Center through March
2008 and may only be reproduced and distributed by sponsors of the Center for Fuel Cell
Research and Applications for their internal use and that of their Affiliates as defined in
the Center’s Program Administrative Rules. All unauthorized use of the report is
prohibited.
© March 2006. Houston Advanced Research Center
HARC Center for Fuel Cell Research and Applications
page 2 of 23
Table of Contents
Preface
1. Introduction
2. Site Preparation
3. Codes, Standards, and Permits
4. Electrical Interconnection
5. Natural Gas Supply
6. Combined Heat and Power System
7. Data Acquisition System
8. Safety
Appendix A: Set up and Interconnect Checklist
Appendix B: Downloading Data through Secure VPN Connection
page 3 of 23
Preface
This report describes the system set up and installation of the Acumentrics Fuel Cell
System, and remote terminal unit set up at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
(NAIT) in Edmonton, Canada. The installation took place during the month of January
2006. The intent of the report is to review and document the installation process at
Edmonton, Canada and to provide pragmatic reference to assist individuals or
organizations that are involved in the setting up and installing a similar fuel cell system
and remote terminal unit. The report briefly discusses the key activities and subsystems
that required attention in order to make the system functional. The report is not intended
to be exhaustive in describing each detail involved in setting up the system, but only to
describe the approach and rationale used by NAIT and HARC.
Individuals or organizations undertaking a similar installation should evaluate their
requirements independently of this report, as rules, regulations, codes, and technical
issues may vary from place to place and by particular end user situation or requirements.
HARC makes no representation as to the sufficiency or appropriateness of the
information herein.
page 4 of 23
1. INTRODUCTION
In January 2006, a 5 kW Acumentrics solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system was installed
at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in Edmonton, Canada. The unit is
physically located inside the Power Engineering Building at NAIT (see Figure 1). At the
time of installation, HARC installed a remote terminal unit (RTU) on the system, which
allowed us to collect, log and download operating information to HARC via a virtual
private connection. In addition to the RTU, HARC installed metering equipment on the
system to allow independent measurement of system performance.
The Acumentrics CP-SOFC-5000 fuel cell system is a fully integrated 5 kW, 120 VAC
(single-phase, two hot legs) solid oxide fuel cell system specifically designed to supply a
wide range of residential and small commercial applications with electrical power and
heat. While the Acumentrics fuel cells can be powered by wide range of fuels including
natural gas, propane and diesel, the system being evaluated by the Center operates on
natural gas. The combined heat and power (CHP) capability allows thermal energy
produced by the fuel cell system to be used in the existing domestic hot water and space
heating systems.
Figure 1: Power Engineering Building at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
(Edmonton, Canada).
page 5 of 23
The Acumentrics fuel cell has the capability to be connected to the electrical utility grid.
In the event of a grid failure, the unit can operate in stand-alone mode and continue to
provide uninterrupted power to critical loads in the circuit. In this case, the unit has full
capability to follow varying loads on the panel. However, the fuel cell system at NAIT
was not connected to the electrical grid; instead AC load banks were used to dissipate the
electrical energy. Figure 2 shows the details of the electrical connection for the
Acumentrics CP-SOFC-5000 fuel cell system showing load connections and the grid
interconnect connections.
Figure 2: Diagram showing the electrical connections for the Acumentrics FCS.
Although, the system at NAIT is not connected to the electric grid, listed here are some of
the important aspects for the grid-connected fuel cells in general.
•
The fuel cell generator is designed to provide supplemental AC electric power in
parallel with the utility grid.
•
The fuel cell generator has customer option for Standby mode, capable of
providing power to selected loads (critical load panel) during a loss of electrical
grid.
•
When fuel cell system is running, the Inverter automatically sends output power
to the main service panel (grid) and critical load panel (standby). If standby loads
are greater than fuel cell system output, the grid supplements the standby loads. If
the standby loads are less than fuel cell system output, excess power is routed to
the grid.
page 6 of 23
•
If grid voltage is lost while the fuel cell system is running, the inverter
disconnects from the grid and the fuel cell powers the critical load panel.
•
If the fuel cell system shuts down automatically, the inverter powers the critical
load panel from the grid.
•
When the fuel cell system is shutdown for maintenance, the inverter can be
aligned to use the grid to power the critical load panel. If inverter maintenance is
required, an alternate means for powering the critical load panel must be provided
or the critical load panel will be de-energized during that maintenance.
2. SITE PREPARATION
The location of the system and the layout of the site must comply with state and local
regulatory zoning ordinances, property deed restrictions, homeowners’ associations, city
ordinances, building and fire codes. In addition, the Acumentrics system placement and
service connections must meet the technical requirements needed by the system. The
system comes in a weather resistant enclosure, and may be installed in either an indoor or
outdoor location. The system is designed to be ground mounted on a concrete or
composite pad. Important considerations when choosing a site location for the system
are:
•
The unit must be located with a minimum space of four feet from the walls of any
adjacent house, building or structure. This will allow adequate air flow to the
system.
•
The unit must be ten feet from walkways, doors, windows, and air-conditioning
condensers. The ten foot exclusion also applies to vegetation such as bushes or
trees and to building exhaust or other exhaust sources (such as diesel generators
which can contaminate the air intake).
•
The fuel cell system outlets should not be directed into heating/ventilating air
intakes, windows, doors, and other openings of adjacent buildings nor onto
walkways or other paths of travel for pedestrians or automobiles.
•
The enclosure inlets and outlets should not be susceptible to blockage by snow or
grass cuttings. Furthermore, care should be taken to ensure that the unit
installation is above the flooded areas.
•
The unit must be located a minimum of four feet from any combustible or
hazardous material (e.g., gasoline, petroleum products, cleaning solvents,
construction materials, chemicals, grass clippings, landscape articles, etc.).
•
Provisions should be made for vehicle access to the site to allow for unit
installation and service, and for access by emergency personnel. Furthermore,
adequate access to enclosure doors for maintenance purposes should be ensured.
page 7 of 23
•
Bollards may be needed if the system is located where the potential of vehicular
impact exists.
•
Optional security fencing provides extra protection for customer, service
personnel, and the public.
•
The unit must be located in a way to minimize gas supply fuel line length and
proximity with electrical disconnect switch.
NAIT located the Acumentrics CP-SOFC-5000 unit in the Power Engineering Building
laboratory as shown in Figure 3. Due to the high amount of foot traffic expected, NAIT
poured a concrete pad to serve as the foundation. The foundation size permitted a 2-5
inch border around the system and is capable of supporting 3000 pounds. The size and
weight of the Acumentrics unit are provided in Table 1.
Figure 3: Location of Acumentrics CP-SOFC-5000 in the Power Engineering Building
Laboratory at NAIT.
page 8 of 23
Table 1: Dimensions and Weight for the Acumentrics CP-SOFC-5000 Fuel Cell System
Dimensions (base)
175.2 (l) × 86.4 (w) × 152.4 (h) cm3
Dimensions (overall)
175.7 (l) × 92.5 (w) × 152.4 (h) cm3
Weight
907 kg
Key connections and facilities include natural gas input, combined heat and power (CHP)
water loop, fuel cell system exhaust, and data acquisition communications. These systems
are described in greater detail later in the report.
3. CODES, STANDARDS, AND PERMITS
The CP-SOFC-5000 unit is an evaluation unit and the installation of this unit has not
been certified. However, Acumentrics suggest that these standards may be referred for
safe installation of the unit (Table 2). The company states that their future units will be
certified according the end application and installation location requirements.
Table 2: List of standards which can be followed for the fuel cell installation.
Standard
UL 1950, 3rd Edition,
March 1, 1998
IEEE/ANSI C62.411991, Category B3
FCC 47 CFR Ch 1
(10-1-96), Part 15
NFPA 54
NFPA 70
NFPA 255
EN60950
EN61326
NFPA 853
ANSI/CSA America
FC1-2004
ANSI Z223.1
Description
Safety of Information Technology Equipment
IEEE Guide for Surge Voltages in Low Voltage AC Power
Circuits
Subpart B, paragraph 15.107 specifies conducted limits.
Paragraph 15.109 specifies radiated limits. Additional
paragraphs specify manual and equipment markings.
Fuel Gas Code
National Electric Code
Standard Method of Testing of Surface Burning Characteristics
of Building Materials
European Community Safety of Informational Technology
Equipment
European Community Electromagnetic Compatibility Standard
Standard for the Installation of Stationary Fuel Cell Power
Plants (Design, Construction and Installation of Fuel Cell
Power Plants in excess of 50 kW)
American National Standard for Fuel Cell Power Plants
American National Standard for Fuel Cell Appliances
page 9 of 23
The implementation of distributed generation (DG) is subjected to interconnection rules,
building codes, electric generator codes, emissions standards and other regulatory
requirements, which vary from country-to-country, and also state-to-state within the
country. Individuals or organizations taking a similar installation are recommended to
contact their local power utility company, local, and state regulatory authorities to discuss
requirements to meet the prevailing codes, regulations, and interconnection permits.
4. ELECTRICAL INTERCONNECTION
The Acumentrics fuel cell system at NAIT was not interconnected to the electric utility
grid. However, if grid interconnection is required, the process of doing so should start
well advance of system delivery (perhaps 3-4 months) by contacting the local electric
utility company. While the public is learning quickly about fuel cells, education of utility
personnel, codes officials, and regulators will likely be an important aspect of installation
for the foreseeable future. So be sure to plan for this delay.
5. FUEL SUPPLY
The Acumentrics CP-SOFC-5000 fuel cell is configured to run only with natural gas.
Acumentrics does provide an add-on option for operation on LPG fuel. Gas service
should be established with the local gas supplied in advance of system delivery. The NG
piping materials and joining methods shall be consistent with national and local codes
and the regulations. The local gas utility or the fire marshal are excellent resources should
questions arise.
The gas supply system should be constructed to the following requirements:
•
Gas supply pressure range is 4-11 inches water column. A step-down pressure
regulator is needed if the gas pressure exceeds this range.
•
The gas line and meter should be capable of supplying a maximum demand of up
to 100 cubic feet per hour.
•
A regulator (if needed), drip and sediment trap, manual shut off valve, and union
disconnect should be installed no more than three feet from the point of
connection on the fuel cell enclosure to allow for future service and repair of
equipment.
•
A plugged, 1/4 inch NPT connection point for test gauge connection should be
installed immediately upstream of the fuel gas supply connection to the fuel cell
system.
•
The final connection to the fuel cell system is made at the 3/4 inch Female NPT
bulkhead connection on the system.
page 10 of 23
•
The gas line must be purged completely of air before operating the fuel cell
system.
HARC installed an in-line thermal mass flow meter (calibrated for 0-2000 SCFH at 2
psig) from Sage Metering to monitor the natural gas fuel flow. A ruggedized flow meter
which can work in extreme operating conditions (temperature, humidity, etc.) was
necessary for this particular installation. The flow meter should be rated for C1D2
environments. Proper installation of the flow meter is needed to insure accurate
measurements. Considerations include adequate straight line pipe in front of and behind
the meter, and ensuring common pipe sizes throughout. Check with meter vendor for
details. Figure 4 shows the installation of flow meter on the natural gas line.
Flow meter
Straight
line pipe
Figure 4: Positioning of the natural gas flow meter.
6. COMBINED HEAT AND POWER SYSTEM
The combined heat and power (CHP) system uses a water loop to recover waste heat
from the fuel cell. The Acumentrics system may also be operated without CHP loop, but
if a CHP loop is installed, a minimum flow of 1 gallon per minute (GPM) must be
maintained.
HARC measured the heat removed from the fuel cell with a BTU pulse meter. This
involved measuring the water flow (maximum 2.5 GPM) in the loop and the temperature
of the hot water supply and hot water return line as shown in Figure 5. The BTU rate
(BTU/min) was calculated automatically in the BTU meter and is given by the equation.
BTU Rate (BTU/min) = 8.346 × ∆T (F) × Flow Rate (GPM)
page 11 of 23
Water flow meter
In-line temperature
sensors
Figure 5: Hot water loop for recovering the thermal energy (left) and BTU meter (right).
Hot water from the fuel cell is used in a CHP installation to provide for radiant space
heating (in the Power Engineering Building laboratory) and/or as a make up water for the
boiler. Figure 6 shows the existing combined heat and power system at NAIT that was
integrated with the Acumentrics fuel cell to extract the thermal energy.
Figure 6: Combined heat and power system
page 12 of 23
7. GEMS – REMOTE TERMINAL UNIT SETUP
HARC installed its own remote terminal unit (RTU) to remotely monitor the Acumentrics
CP-SOFC-5000 fuel cell system (Figure 7). The RTU was connected to an add-on
module which allowed 16 analog inputs to be captured and recorded. The system has
RS232/RS485 serial port for high speed data dumps, modem (land or cell phone), 512
MB flash memory for local short term data storage, a 120 VAC input power supply, a 24
VDC output power supply, real time clock stamp, Nema 4 enclosure (2’ × 1½’ × 8”),
software for receiving data on PC, Ethernet line, and programmability. Based on market
survey and product catalog Remote Terminal Unit with Gems Messenger 570 was chosen
for the installation. System specifications are given below.
Figure 6: GEMS Remote Terminal Unit
Gems Sensors RTU- 16 analog signal inputs
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Natural Gas Flow
System AC Voltage
Stack Unregulated DC Voltage
System AC Current
Stack Unregulated DC Current
Cooling Water IN Temperature
Stack Regulated DC Voltage
Cooling Water OUT Temperature
Stack Regulated DC Current
BTU Rate (thermal energy)
page 13 of 23
•
•
•
•
•
•
Parasitic DC Current
Electrical Cabinet Temperature
Battery DC Voltage
Hot Box Temperature
Battery DC Current
Exhaust Temperature
Power Supply
•
•
•
120 V power for the RTU within proximity of the Enclosure
The RTU supplies 24 VDC power for the Gas flow meter, the temperature
sensors, and voltage transducers
120 V power for BTU Meter from RTU
Data Acquisition
•
•
A land line or satellite system is needed for modem transmission.
The RTU will be programmed to send data on a daily basis.
Prior to the installation of its remote terminal unit, following information was gathered:
•
•
•
•
•
Location of install site
Information on phone/data line
Coordination with local electrician/ fuel cell installation technician
Check functionality of all sensors
Program RTU
The data is downloaded at HARC through a secure VPN connection. Appendix B details
the step-by-step procedure for downloading equipment data in ASCII format.
8. SAFETY
The Acumentrics CP-SOFC-5000 system has substantial operational safeguards that shut
off the machine in case any unsafe conditions occur. The Acumentrics CP-SOFC-5000
has the typical and expected hazards associated with equipment that produces high
voltage and involves high temperatures, flammable gases, and heavy components. All
personnel that will be involved in the installation, operation, or maintenance of the
Acumentrics fuel cell system should take the factory training offered by Acumentrics. In
addition, following standard safety procedures and protocols, such as Lock-out/Tag-out,
should be sufficient for trained and skilled personnel to safely operate and work on the
system. The system cannot be installed, operated, serviced, or maintained by untrained
personnel.
page 14 of 23
APPENDIX A
SET UP AND INTERCONNECT CHECKLIST
page 15 of 23
SET UP AND INTERCONNECT CHECKLIST
PHASE 1: PREPARATION
-- Begin Four Months before Expected System Delivery -1. Contact state PUC to determine rules for grid-connected distributed generation
•
Understand legal/regulatory process requirements
•
Understand technical specifications requirements
2. Depending on State/Country, contact local electric utility to inform them of DG plans
•
Obtain and share technical specs of the Acumentrics CP-SOFC-5000 unit
•
Develop and share interconnection drawings
•
Obtain Interconnect Agreement
3. Contact the state regulatory agency for new source review of power generators
•
Understand permit requirements
•
Obtain necessary permits (if any)
4. Contact city or county regulatory agencies with jurisdiction over power generators,
emission sources, or building permits?
•
Understand permit requirements (such as building permits)
•
Obtain necessary permits (if any)
5. Engineer a plan to integrate combined heat and power system into the building
infrastructure (if desired)
6. Schedule two technicians to attend the Acumentrics training class prior to delivery of
the system.
PHASE 2: SITE INSTALLATION
-- Begin One Month before System Delivery -1. Select a site consistent with Acumentrics technical specs, local building and fire
codes. Consider site access requirements to place, maintain, and access unit (in case
of emergencies).
2. Prepare the site
•
Create a foundation (and fence the area if desired)
•
Place bollards (if needed)
3. Acquire necessary sub-systems
page 16 of 23
•
Water supply materials
•
Data acquisition hardware (if needed) -- Note: Lead times for some
equipment may be longer than 1 month.
•
Combined heat and power materials
•
Acquire emissions monitoring, power quality, or other measurement
hardware (if needed)
4. Contact local gas utility (insure city gas pressure consistent with system needs)
5. Contact the fire marshal (other local officials) and the insurance company to
apprise them of the upcoming installation, to inquire about existing local fire and
building code issues, and set up an on-site inspection once the unit is received.
PHASE 3: SYSTEM DELIVERY AND INSTALLATION
1. Take delivery and place unit on the foundation
2. Connect cooling water, data acquisition, and combined heat and power systems
3. Connect (but do not energize) electrical interconnect
PHASE 4: FINALIZE THE SET UP
1. Meet with the fire marshal (and other local officials) to inspect the site for
compliance with local codes.
2. Meet with the insurance company representatives to inspect the site for safety
concerns.
3. Provide a two week notice to the local electric utility company that you intend to
energize the system.
4. Ensure that all necessary permits and authorizations have been obtained prior to
energizing the system.
page 17 of 23
APPENDIX B
DOWNLOADING DATA THROUGH SECURE VPN CONNECTION
page 18 of 23
DOWNLOADING DATA THROUGH SECURE VPN CONNECTION
HARC’s remote terminal unit (RTU) is connected to the Acumentrics 5 kW system at
NAIT and monitors sixteen key performance parameters listed below.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Natural Gas Flow
Battery DC Voltage
Battery DC Current
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
System AC Voltage
System AC Current
Cooling Water IN Temperature
Cooling Water OUT Temperature
BTU Rate (thermal energy)
Hot Box Temperature
Exhaust Temperature
The data from all these sensors is collected at a 20 second sampling frequency. This data
is stored in the data logger which is located in the RTU unit. The data logger is connected
to the NAIT computer through RS232 Serial-to-USB converter (Figure 1). The NAIT
computer also runs the Acumentrics virtual interface (VI) software that collects a wide
variety of system information including data for individual cell series and stack
temperatures.
HARC’s
Data Logger
Data
Virtual Private Network
Acumentrics
5 kW SOFC
NAIT
HARC
Figure 1: Configuration of HARC’s data logger at NAIT for downloading data at HARC.
The data collected from HARC’s RTU and Acumentrics VI software can be downloaded
at HARC site by establishing a virtual private network connection to the NAIT’s
network. Following the creating of VPN connection, Remote Desktop utility can be used
to access the NAIT computer. Once on NAIT’s computer, both HARC and Acumentrics
VI data can be downloaded. These steps are elaborated in detail below.
page 19 of 23
1. Creation of a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection to NAIT’s network
Make sure Cisco VPN Client
software is installed on your machine
Start the VPN Client software and
make a new connection. Fill in the
following details as shown in Figure
2 below.
VPN Host: 192.197.128.251
Use Group Authentication
Name: AuthRequest
Pwd: ************ (provided)
Make sure that Enable Transport
Tunneling option is checked on the
Transport tab and that the “IP Sec
over UDP (NAT/PAT) radio button
is ON. Click on “Save” when done.
Figure 2: Setting up the VPN Client Connection.
To start the VPN connection, double click the “HARC+NAIT” connection in the
list. When prompted for user name and password, enter –
Username: HARC
Password: xxxxxxxx (provided)
This will enable VPN Client network to NAIT campus – with a small lock icon
displayed on bottom right task bar.
2. Using Remote Desktop Utility to
connect to NAIT’s computer
Once the VPN is connected, Remote
Desktop Connection Utility can be
started by clicking:
Start Æ All Programs Æ Accessories Æ
Communications Æ Remote Desktop
Connection
Enter the following information on the
window as shown in Figure 3.
Computer: 199.185.49.16
User name: powereng
Password: xxxxxxxx (provided)
Figure 3: Remote Desktop Connection screen.
page 20 of 23
Click on Connect
This action will connect to the NAIT’s computer and will display its desktop on
HARC’s computer.
3. Download data from HARC’s remote logger to NAIT’s computer
On the NAIT’s computer start the Windows HyperTerminal Software by clicking
Start Æ All Programs Æ Accessories Æ Communications Æ HyperTerminal
This will bring up a pop up window as shown in Figure 4a below. Enter the Name
of Connection as NAIT_HARC_Acumentrics and click OK.
On the next screen select the COM port where the Serial Port to USB is connected
and click OK (Figure 4b).
This will bring to the COM properties dialog box. Select Bits per second as the
38400 as shown in Figure 4c.
Figure 4 (a-c): Window’s HyperTerminal Software
This will configure the HyperTerminal software to talk to the Data Logger. The
logger will ask to input the security code Enter Security Code: xxxxxxxx (code provided) (Enter)
At the Command prompt type
COMMAND LOG O (enter)
Choose Option 2 and enter the data file name and location (where you want it to
be saved) as shown in Figure 5.
page 21 of 23
Figure 5: File download process in HyperTerminal Software
4. Transfer data files from NAIT’s computer to HARC’s computer
HARC data files are stored in location specified in step 3 above. Acumentrics VI
data files are stored by default in the following folder on NAIT computer, as
shown in Figure 6.
Data File Location - “C:\Program Files\Acumentrics FC Monitor\data”
Figure 6: Location of Acumentrics VI data files on NAIT’s computer.
page 22 of 23
These files can be transferred to HARC computer either through email or any
other copying utility.
Due to higher sampling rate of 20 seconds, it is important to download the
HARC’s remote data logger data every second day. Failure to do so will result in
overwriting of the data due to fixed system memory storage.
5. Converting data files into Excel Spreadsheet format.
HARC’s data files can be imported as a delimited file type in Excel Spreadsheet
program. Set the delimiter as comma (,) which importing the file. Columns D
through S represent the data for 16 channels on the RTU and are listed as under Acumentrics data files can be directly opened using Excel Spreadsheet program
Table 1: Columns of HARC’s data files
Excel Spreadsheet
Column #
Parameter
D
Cooling Water Out Temperature
E
System AC Current (one leg)
F
Thermal Energy
G
Natural Gas Flowmeter
H
Cooling Water In Temperature
I
J
Hot Cabinet Temperature
K
Exhaust Temperature
L
M
N
System AC Voltage (one leg)
O
Battery DC Voltage
P
Q
R
S
Battery DC Current
page 23 of 23

Acumentrics Fuel Cell System and Remote Terminal Setup

Transcription

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