Topics 1 June 2022
More Knowledge – Less Downtime

Tests on pilot systems and test rigs are an important step in product development. The results determine the subsequent processes and their parameters. Therefore, all the variables and measured values should be documented as fully as possible, and any necessary process tools require reliable availability and uniform quality. This applies especially to the 24 V supply for the connected loads. Having not just a constant power supply, but also the ability to obtain informative feedback about the real-time status of the power supply unit is a clear advantage.

The Benefits of the WAGO Pro 2 Power Supply for You:

A pluggable communication module for real-time monitoring of the power supply and loads
Limiting value violation alerts support predictive maintenance
Configurable electronic circuit breaker

Energy storage is a key challenge on the path to a climate-friendly energy system. How can uninterrupted service be guaranteed even when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining? One possible solution is conversion of electricity into hydrogen through electrolysis. Decentralized hydrogen generation would increase the efficient of such an approach, allowing benefits such as the elimination of long transport routes from wind parks to hydrogen stations. Compressing the hydrogen obtained from these smaller electrolyzers presents another obstacle: Conventional mechanical compressors are maintenance-intensive, require a lot of space and generate noise.

In contrast, electrochemical hydrogen compressors (“EHCs” for short) require no moving parts at all. The basic setup merely requires an anode, a proton conducting membrane (PEM = polymer electrolyte membrane) as the electrolyte and a cathode. When voltage is applied and wet hydrogen is supplied to the anode side, H₂ molecules are split into protons and electrons, and the protons are electrochemically driven through the PEM to the cathode. At this point, they recombine with their electrons into molecular hydrogen. This method can achieve pressures from 700 to 800 bar. Even higher pressures can be generated by connecting several membrane electrode units in series. In the future, this flexibility will make the method useful both for private households and on an industrial scale.

“However, they now care far more about the Pro 2’s communication features.”

Erik Smalbrugge, Regional Sales Manager at WAGO Nederland B.V

Extensive Research on a Solid Foundation

Several companies are engaged in intensive research to take further advantage of the possibilities offered by EHC. One global market leader headquartered in the Netherlands operates several EHC test systems. For efficient compression, a myriad of parameters need to be recorded and monitored, such as water vapor partial pressure, current density, operating temperature and values relating to hydrogen ion back diffusion. The sensors, regulators, flow meters and thermometers necessary for this are quite sensitive and require a constant, high-quality 24 V power supply. This used to cause enormous headaches for engineers: Even with a correct design, occasional power failures would not only damage the sensitive instruments, but also set the research process back.

One particularly annoying issue was that, aside from the DC-OK signal, the power supply units would output no other information about the output voltage generated. While searching for a high-quality replacement, the engineers came across the WAGO Pro 2 Power Supply. “At first, our customer was most focused on size, because they wanted to replace the previous power supplies without having to redesign the control cabinet much,” explains Erik Smalbrugge, Regional Sales Manager at WAGO Nederland B.V. “However, they now care far more about the Pro 2’s communication features.”

Unlike the previous conventional power supply, WAGO’s Pro 2 Series boasts much higher information density and expanded communication capabilities. Both of these advantages offer far greater user value than a simple DC-OK signal. An attachable communication module connects the power supply to a PLC or IoT gateway. All status messages are continuously forwarded via IO-Link, Modbus TCP, Modbus RTU or ETHERNET. This makes it possible to monitor the real-time status of the power supply unit and the connected loads at all times.

Sudden voltage drops, detailed load behavior and TopBoost or PowerBoost triggering events – nothing is hidden from the user!

Erik Smalbrugge, Regional Sales Manager at WAGO Nederland B.V

A Power Supply that Provides Complete Information

“In the testing environment, it’s particularly important to reliably detect and precisely localize sources of errors,” explains Smalbrugge. “Sudden voltage drops, detailed load behavior and TopBoost or PowerBoost triggering events – nothing is hidden from the user! Our customer always knows what’s going on with their sensitive 24 V loads.”

This information not only indicates the current status; it also makes it possible to predict conditions that could negatively affect it. While DC-OK feedback simply causes power supplies to shut down, the Pro 2 allows the user to define warning thresholds via the communication interface. The Pro 2 Power Supply reports limiting value violations to the PLC or the control system. This even allows implementation of predictive maintenance strategies. For example, a gradual change of the output current can indicate imminent motor damage, deposit build-up on valves or a contaminated sensor. “This lets our customers react to these events before a system failure actually occurs,” says Smalbrugge, explaining the benefit. “Everyone here is happy about the greater EHC test system availability this has achieved.”

ECBs for Twice the Protection

Data recording and status information transmission are not the only features of the WAGO Pro 2 Power Supply that impressed the Dutch team: “The configurable electronic circuit breaker function provides twice the protection for the H₂ test systems.” As Smalbrugge explains: “Since our circuit breaker has a single-channel design, safety fuses also continue to serve their purpose. However, our electronic circuit breaker now also protects against short circuits that would not trip the fuses due to the long cable paths.” With the WAGO Pro 2’s electronic circuit breaker (ECB), it is possible to specify both the cut-off current and the response time that trip the breaker. When safety fuses are used, particularly for installations with long cables, the response time can be quite long; in contrast, the ECB trips reliably a predefined amount of time after the overload threshold is exceeded.

In basic research on electrochemical hydrogen compressors, the Pro 2 Power Supply, alongside the WAGO PFC200 Controllers used, serves its purpose reliably. In addition to its robust hardware, the Dutch engineers also swear by WAGO’s service, which provides a prompt and professional response to every query. The dependable hardware components and first-class service form a dream team for greater system availability – a crucial factor for improving competitiveness in any industry.

Erik Smalbrugge works in Apeldoorn in the Netherlands as a WAGO Regional Sales Manager. Since 2018, he has served industrial customers from the maritime sector, the foodstuffs industry and energy generation. Smalbrugge supports both end customers and equipment manufacturers in these fields. The many different challenges these present are what make his career so exciting for him.

Let Power Communicate

The WAGO Pro 2 Power Supply: Control cabinets are undergoing a transformation, with both quantity and quality demands constantly increasing. Greater networking, rising energy costs and growing customization require smaller, more economical, faster and more flexible solutions in control cabinets.

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Topics 1 June 2022 More Knowledge – Less Downtime