ACEP at Work: BlackBox Project Logbook – Project Update

Project Description:

The BlackBox Project consists of the design, construction and testing of a remote data acquisition system. The goal of the project is to develop a completely self-contained system that can be left in the field unmonitored for extended periods of time.

Progress Update: July 28

Signal Conversion

Due to the inability to find a unit that could read the current signals from a current transformer, and send isolated voltage signals to be read by the main computer, for signals in the kHz range, we developed our own circuit to perform the job. The circuits were tested and proven on ‘breadboards’, see Figure 1, and are currently being manufactured as a printed circuit board (PCB), see Figure 2. These PCBs will be completed and shipped within 10 business days for testing. They will fit inside an enclosure which can mount on the “DIN-Rail” mounting system for easy installation with the other equipment in the black box. A small adjustment to the circuit will allow it to read and isolate voltage signals.

Assembly

All the necessary hardware, other than cables, has been purchased to assemble two black box units. A preliminary CAD drawing shows how to physically mount the units within the enclosure.

Project Lead: Marc Mueller-Stoffels, mmuellerstoffels@alaska.edu

Project Engineers: Jeremy Vandermeer and Luis Pereira Miranda

Project Funding: ShellWind/Shell Foundation, Alaska Energy Authority

Figure 1: Breadboard circuit testing.  Courtesy of Luis Miranda, ACEP/UAF.

Figure 2: Printed circuit board design, sent to manufacturer.  Courtesy of Luis Miranda, ACEP/UAF.