HIGHLY AUTOMATED capable competitor

摘要

Fuel cell power plants are well suited to distributed generation. Fuel cell distributed generation plants require very reliable process controls, sophisticated automation logic, and powerful remote monitoring capabilities made practical by modern instrumentation and control technologies. Distributed generation is the production of electrical energy at its point of use rather than at large central power stations. It results in increased reliability and the elimination of transmission and distribution costs. Although traditional power stations will continue to do the heavy lifting for the near term, distributed generation technologies are filling new and growing market niches. Because fuel cell power plants are quiet and have near zero emissions, they can be located close to the electrical consumer without evoking environmental and "not in my backyard" objections. In addition, the ultrahigh efficiencies of fuel cells ensure their economic viability. To be cost competitive and user friendly, fuel cell distributed generation plants must be highly automated and capable of unattended operation. Here follows a technical overview of fuel cell power generation and an examination of the role specific instrument and control (I&C) technologies will play in realizing the benefits of this emerging technology.