CO2 Monitoring Equipment for Forest Research
Forest Research
Forest Research is Great Britain’s principal organisation for forestry and tree related research and is internationally renowned for the provision of evidence and scientific services in support of sustainable forestry.
The Challenge
The past decades have seen rapid change in the Arctic sea ice pack. The ice has become thinner and younger, leading researchers to recognise the need for up to date observations on the condition of the icepack and the potential effects. Scientists from Forest Research are running a long-term project to quantify and compare the carbon and greenhouse gas balance of two spruce plantations in Harwood Forest, Northumberland at different points in the forest management cycle – one with mature trees and the other in a clear-felled and restocked area. The clear-fell site is very remote, with no access to mains electrical power. In the past, a combination of solar panels and batteries were used to power the monitoring equipment, but this increased the risk of power shortages, particularly at night.
The Solution
The customer needed a solution that offered consistent, reliable power. However, the crucial requirement in this case is a lack of any emissions from power generators. The instruments being powered measure carbon dioxide, so a power supply producing emissions would contaminate the results. Forest Research decided to use an EFOY Pro 2400 Duo (equivalent to the new EFOY Pro 2800) from Fuel Cell Systems Ltd, integrated with two sets of solar panels and a wind turbine.
Result
The renewable energy providers are connected to their respective charge controllers and passing through a fuse box are connected to two high capacity batteries. The EFOY Pro provides extra charge when the solar panels and wind turbine are not recharging the batteries, predominately at night-time or when there are low wind speeds. Also, having two methanol fuel cartridges feeding into the fuel cell, gives a long runtime – usually more than a month before refuelling is required.
“The EFOY Pro, integrated with a system of clean energy, gives a long-term power solution, helping us conduct research in the most remote and challenging places”
Dr Georgios Xenakis, Forest Research
How it Works
The EFOY continuously monitors the battery voltage, automatically turning on and off to charge the batteries. It effectively acts as a ‘battery charger ’ ensuring that the batteries are kept within the optimal voltage range. Compared to an internal combustion generator, the EFOY fuel cell has few moving parts providing higher levels of reliability and reduced noise levels. The only emissions it produces are tiny amount of carbon dioxide and water.