Data acquisition system for the ARCO 1 MW photovoltaic power facility
Abstract
Components and performance of the data acquisition system being used to monitor the performance of a 1 MW photovoltaic (PV) array in California are described. One microcomputer controls the system data acquisition and storage functions while another monitors and reports sensor data to the control computer. Modem communications over five lines permits remote access to the system's status. The control computer has 320 kbytes of RAM, a display and floppy disk storage. The sensor monitoring computer scans each sensor several times per second to update its internal registers. Full meteorological, array status and performance data sets are taken,along with intruder alarm signals. The monitoring system is capable of detecting severe wind conditions and recommending that the control computer stow the tracking panel arrays. Alarm signals can also be transmitted to remote control points and must be reset manually to verify reception and comprehension. The control computer plays reveille at dawn and taps at night to the solar cell array using an internal tone generator.
- Publication:
-
5th Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference
- Pub Date:
- 1984
- Bibcode:
- 1984pvse.conf..682R
- Keywords:
-
- Data Acquisition;
- Electric Power Plants;
- Photovoltaic Cells;
- Architecture (Computers);
- Automatic Control;
- Block Diagrams;
- Data Storage;
- Guidance Sensors;
- Systems Engineering;
- Energy Production and Conversion