Power System State of Health

Understanding the state of a polar station's power system can be critical to a successful long-term deployment. Knowing how the system is functioning, prior to service, is key to proper logistics, scheduling and the service performed during a visit. A full record of power system performance is key to proper analysis of the health of the power system. The design of a power system with monitoring is a balance of components to gather information while still trying to keep complexity low. To properly incorporate a system to analyze a stations power system a firm understanding of how the power components function in polar environments as well as communication to data acquisition and / or telemetry is needed. For example designers will need to know how a station's power storage system will change in colder environments then manufactures standard design criteria. This would include the reduced available capacity, change in the mean time between failure and possible new failure modes. This understanding coupled with a system that would collect key information on the state of health of the power system will provide crucial insight in to what service is needed to keep the station functioning.