ACEP at Work: BlackBox Project Logbook – Weekly Update

Project Description:  The BlackBox Project consists of the design, construction and testing of a data acquisition system that can be installed in power generating plants to collect data regarding the performance of certain pieces of equipment. The goal of the project is to develop a fully self-contained system that can be left unmonitored for extended periods of time.

Progress Update:  The I/O server was set up to transfer data to the network attached storage device (NAS) as a FTP server (file transfer protocol). Data will come in and be processed through the sampling device and the I/O server, and then sent to the NAS. An uninterrupted power supply (UPS) was also connected to the system thus enabling the NAS device to reboot in the event of a power loss, or if connectivity to the web is lost. This is one of the key steps to demonstrating that the system will function autonomously to reboot unresponsive components without outside intervention.

Project Lead: Marc Mueller-Stoffels, mmuellerstoffels@alaska.edu
Project Engineer: Nicholas Konefal
Project Funding: ShellWind/Shell Foundation, Alaska Energy Authority

 

Photo Caption:  Uninterrupted power supply (UPS)

Photo courtesy of N.Konefal, ACEP/UAF.