Metrohm Autolab Installation Description
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Metrohm Autolab Installation Description

Metrohm Autolab Installation Description

Electronic load
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Autolab/
Electronic Load
Installation Description
Picture Courtesy of Nedstack Fuel Cell Technology BV

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Summary of Contents for Metrohm Autolab

  • Page 1 Autolab/ Electronic Load Installation Description Picture Courtesy of Nedstack Fuel Cell Technology BV...
  • Page 2 In this case, the power supply will be used to source high currents to the cell and the Autolab is used to control the voltage across the cell. The use of a programmable power supply is not specifically covered in this manual. More...
  • Page 3 Warning When the Autolab is combined with an electronic load, the Autolab will only be used to control the load and measure the cell voltage. The specifications of the Autolab are therefore irrelevant for this application and only the specifications of the electronic load must be selected carefully (see Section 1).

  • Page 4: Table Of Contents

    Table of Contents 1 – Choice of the electronic load ............... 5 2 – Dynload interface part list ................6 3 – Autolab part list ..................8 4 – Electronic load part list ................9 5 – Polarity convention ..................10 6 –...

  • Page 5: Choice Of The Electronic Load

    Many commercially available electronic loads can be used in combination with the Autolab PGSTAT. However, in order to operate in combination with the PGSTAT, the electronic load must fulfil the following requirements: • Analog external programming to control the setpoint (0-10 V range) •...

  • Page 6: Dynload Interface Part List

    Autolab/Electronic load combination Figure 1 – Contour map of the TDI RBL 488 2 – Dynload interface part list The Dynload interface kit includes the following items: 1. The Dynload interface (see Figure 2). 2. 15 V power supply 3. A 2 m long BNC cable 4.
  • Page 7 Autolab/Electronic load combination Y-FRA/ADC Y-FRA/ADC Dynamic load DAC-1 External prog. DAC-1 15 V 15 V To back panel of electronic load DYNAMIC LOAD DYNAMIC LOAD Figure 2 – Two versions of the Dynload interface (left – general purpose interface, right – for Kikusui electronic loads) The three SMB shielded cables can be fitted with SMB to BNC adaptor plugs.

  • Page 8: Autolab Part List

    Figure 4 - Configuration of the SMB cables used in combination with the FRA32M module 3 – Autolab part list The Autolab PGSTAT is used as a voltmeter in combination with the electronic load. This means that the WE and CE connectors provided by the Autolab must not be connected to the cell. Warning Never connect the WE/CE connectors of the Autolab to the electrochemical cell when working in combination with an electronic load.

  • Page 9: Electronic Load Part List

    The connections to the Dynload interface must be BNC. Note Please refer to the user manual of the electronic load for more information on the connection requirements or contact Metrohm Autolab (info@metrohm- autolab.com) for assistance. P a g e...

  • Page 10: Polarity Convention

    6.1 – Connections without a FRA module If no FRA module is present in the instrument (FRA2 or FRA32M), the connections between the Autolab and the Dynload interface should be as described in Figure 10 | P a g e...
  • Page 11 DYNAMIC LOAD Figure 6 – Connections overview without FRA module 1. Connect the DAC164 output one on the front panel of the Autolab (DAC164 1) to the DAC-1 input of the Dynload interface. 2. Connect the Y-FRA/ADC output of the Dynload interface to the ADC164 input one on the front panel of the Autolab (ADC164 1).

  • Page 12: Connections With A Fra32M Module

    (DAC164 1) to the DAC-1 input of the Dynload interface. 2. Connect the Y-FRA/ADC output of the Dynload interface to the ADC164 input one on the front panel of the Autolab (ADC164 1) and using the provided BNC splitter, connect the same signal to the FRA32M Y input.

  • Page 13: Connections With A Fra2 Module

    (DAC164 1) to the DAC-1 input of the Dynload interface. 2. Connect the Y-FRA/ADC output of the Dynload interface to the ADC164 input one on the front panel of the Autolab (ADC164 1) and using the provided BNC splitter, connect the same signal to the FRA2 Y input.

  • Page 14: Connections To The Cell

    7.1 – Connections for cell voltages ≤ 10 V The S and RE cables of the Autolab differential amplifier are connected to the cell under study. The S is connected to the (+) and the RE connected to the (-). The CE and WE connections of the PGSTAT are not used.

  • Page 15: Connections For Cell Voltages > 10 V

    The input range of the Autolab differential amplifier is limited to 10 V. When the cell voltage is larger than 10 V, for example when measuring on large cell stacks, the input voltage of the Autolab can be extended to 100 V by using the Voltage multiplier (Item code: VOLT.MULT).

  • Page 16: Connections To The Instrument

    Autolab/Electronic load combination S-cell S-Pgstat 90kΩ 10kΩ 10kΩ RE-cell RE-Pgstat 90kΩ VOLTAGE MULTIPLIER Figure 10 – The Voltage Multiplier 7.2.2 – Connections to the instrument Connect the voltage multiplier to the differential amplifier. Connect the Sense lead to the S-Pgstat connector and the Reference lead to the RE-Pgstat connector on the voltage multiplier.

  • Page 17: Electronic Load Settings

    Before the measurements can be performed, it is mandatory to program the electronic load. Please refer to the user manual provided with the electronic load for more information or contact Metrohm Autolab B.V. for setup guidelines (info@metrohm-autolab.com). Most electronic loads have a number of common settings which have to be considered: •...

  • Page 18: Programming The Load (Tdi)

    Autolab/Electronic load combination • Bandwidth, Slew rate: on some devices, the bandwidth or the slew rate can be set manually. If this is the case, the highest possible value should be used. • Mode (CC, CV, CP, CR): all electronic loads have four operation modes: constant current (CC), constant voltage (CV), constant power (CP) and constant resistance (CR).

  • Page 19: Programming The Load (Kikusui)

    Autolab/Electronic load combination 8.2 – Programming the load (Kikusui) Figure 13 shows the overview of the front panel of the Kikusiu PLZ164WA. Figure 13 – Front panel of the Kikusiu PLZ164WA Follow these steps to ensure that the load is setup correctly for this application: 1.

  • Page 20: Controlling The Electronic Load

    The output of the Dynload interface in turn is controlled by the output of the DAC164 1 of the Autolab and the FRA2/FRA32M V output, if applicable. The conversion settings depend on the type of load and are specified in the software.

  • Page 21: Nova Hardware Setup

    Autolab/Electronic load combination If the load is in constant current (CC) mode, with the 33 A current range selected, 10 �� the conversion will be: �� = − = −0.30303 ��/�� 33 �� �� With a 0 V analog signal from the PGSTAT, the load will operate at 0 A. With a 10 V analog signal from the PGSTAT, the load will operate at 33 A.

  • Page 22: Analog Input Settings

    Autolab/Electronic load combination Figure 14 – Specifying the hardware setup External With the module selected, an additional configuration panel is shown in the frame on the right-hand side of the Hardware setup. This panel can be used to specify the conversion settings required to control the electronic load.

  • Page 23: Analog Output Settings

    Autolab/Electronic load combination Figure 15 – The conversion settings for the Kikusui PLZ164WA electronic load These settings indicate that the analog signal provided by the Kikusui electronic load, in V, need to be multiplied by -3.3 in order to be converted into current, with the correct polarity.

  • Page 24: Manual Control Of The Electronic Load (Dc Only)

    Autolab/Electronic load combination Figure 16 – The conversion settings for control of the Kikusui PLZ164WA electronic load These settings indicate that in order to control the setpoint of the electronic load, the specified current needs to be divided by -3.3 in order to be converted to the analog signal with the correct polarity.
  • Page 25 Figure 17 – Select the option to open the manual control of the electronic load The Autolab display will be shown, with an additional panel below it (see Figure 18). Note The Current value shown in the Autolab control window corresponds to the current measured by Autolab.
  • Page 26 Autolab/Electronic load combination Figure 18 – The Autolab display window with the External device control panel Note Kikusui PLZ164WA 33 A The name shown in the External device control panel ( depends on the settings specified in the Hardware setup window.

  • Page 27: Procedure Control Of The Electronic Load (Dc Only)

    (see Figure 20). Figure 20 – Using the Autolab control command to edit the current setpoint of the electronic load A new window, called Autolab control, will be displayed (see Figure 21).
  • Page 28 Autolab/Electronic load combination Figure 21 – The Autolab control window The control of the electronic load is available on the Advanced part of this editor (see Figure 22). Figure 22 – The control of the electronic load is provided on the Advanced part...
  • Page 29 To specify the current setpoint of the electronic load, the value can be typed into the required field of the Autolab control window. It can also be specified by sliding the provided slider in the same editor (see Figure 23).

  • Page 30: Recording The Output From The Electronic Load (Dc Only)

    The output of the electronic load is fed back to one of the external inputs of the Autolab. If the conversion settings are specified properly, as indicated in Section 9, the output from the load can be converted directly and recorded by the NOVA software.
  • Page 31 WE is not connected to the cell in the application. The measured values can be plotted during a measurement and will be displayed in the Autolab display window (see Figure 27). 31 | P a g e...
  • Page 32 Autolab/Electronic load combination Figure 27 – The output of the electronic load can be plotted and displayed in the Autolab display window when sampled Note The value shown in the Autolab display is only visible during a measurement. Since the measurements are performed without switching the cell switch of the Autolab on, a warning will be shown during validation (see Figure 28).

  • Page 33: Impedance Spectroscopy Measurements

    Autolab/Electronic load combination Figure 28 – Measurements with an external electronic load trigger a warning during validation It is possible to right-click this warning message to disable this for further measurements (see Figure 28). 13 – Impedance spectroscopy measurements Impedance spectroscopy measurements are possible using similar settings as those defined in the Hardware setup of NOVA.
  • Page 34 Autolab/Electronic load combination FRA measurement external Figure 29 – Adding the command to the procedure FRA measurement external To edit the settings of the command, click the button next to the command in the procedure editor (see Figure 29). A new window will be displayed (see Figure 30).

  • Page 35: External Settings

    Autolab/Electronic load combination This window can be used to specify all the settings required to perform an impedance measurement using the external electronic load. 13.1 – External settings The parameters on the External section of the FRA editor window are related to the conversion parameters for setting and measuring the setpoint of the electronic load as well as the definition of the transfer function.

  • Page 36: Settings For  X

    Autolab/Electronic load combination 13.1.2 – Settings for  X The parameters for the  X signal define the conversion factor between the analog output of the Autolab differential amplifier and the X input channel of the FRA2/FRA32M. Unit For this application, set the name to Potential, set the parameter to V and specify a multiplier of -1 (see Figure 32).

  • Page 37: Settings For Transfer Function

    Autolab/Electronic load combination Figure 33 – Setting the parameters for the  Y input The value of the multiplier depends on the type of electronic load and the settings for the Kikusiu PLZ164WA in 33 A current range will be used in this section. For this load, the multiplier is -3.3 (33 A / 10 V...

  • Page 38: Frequency Scan Settings

    Autolab/Electronic load combination Figure 34 – Specifying the name and units for the transfer function 13.2 – Frequency scan settings The parameters on the Frequency scan section of the FRA editor window are related to the frequency scan itself. Note...

  • Page 39: Sampler Settings

    Autolab/Electronic load combination Figure 35 – Defining the settings for the frequency scan Note The amplitude value is specified in absolute values. Warning Make sure that that the amplitude defined in the FRA editor is smaller than the DC setpoint of the electronic load! 13.3 –...
  • Page 40 Note For this application, it is highly recommended to activate the Sample time domain option in order to verify that the sinewaves from the Autolab and electronic load are recorded properly. 40 |...

  • Page 41: Plots Settings

    Autolab/Electronic load combination 13.4 – Plots settings The parameters on the Plots section of the FRA editor window are related to the plotting of the data measured during the impedance spectroscopy measurement and the acquisition parameters (see Figure 37). Note The available plots on the Plots section depend on the signals specified in the Sampler section of the FRA editor.

  • Page 42: Running A Measurement

    Autolab/Electronic load combination Figure 38 – The procedure editor is updated after all the settings are specified in the FRA editor 13.5 – Running a measurement Using the recommended settings specified in this Section, impedance measurement can be carried out and displayed as shown in Figure 39.
  • Page 43 Autolab/Electronic load combination Figure 39 – Example of a typical impedance measurement using an external electronic load Note Metrohm Autolab can assist in setting up the experimental conditions and the procedure used to perform the measurements. Contact info@metrohm- autolab.com or your local distributor for more information...

  • Page 44: Measurement Examples

    Autolab/Electronic load combination 14 – Measurement examples This section provides a few examples of procedures designed for the combination of the Autolab PGSTAT and an electronic load. 14.1 – iV/Power curve Control external device Repeat for each The combination of the...

  • Page 45: Impedance Spectroscopy Measurement

    Autolab/Electronic load combination Figure 41 – Example of a complete procedure used to perform a i/V measurement using an electronic load in combination with the Autolab Repeat for each These commands are embedded into a value command used to walk through different current values.
  • Page 46 Autolab/Electronic load combination Figure 42 – Typical Nyquist plots obtained on a fuel cell at 120 A and 200 A DC current, 9 A AC amplitude Figure 42 shows a typical Nyquist plot that can be obtained with an electronic load.
  • Page 47 Figure 43 – Example of a complete procedure used to perform an impedance spectroscopy measurement using an electronic load in combination with the Autolab Note Metrohm Autolab can assist in setting up the experimental conditions and the procedure used to perform the measurements. Contact info@metrohm- autolab.com...

  • Page 48: Appendix 1 - Specifications Of Known Electronic Loads

    Autolab/Electronic load combination Appendix 1 – Specifications of known electronic loads The DC and AC conversion settings are specified in Table 2 and Table 3, respectively. Current DAC164 1 ADC164  1 Load range (A) Conversion slope Conversion slope Kikusui PLZ164WA -3.3...

  • Page 49: Appendix 2 - Modification Of The Fra2 Module

    The use of a ESD safety kit is highly recommended. Remove the FRA2 module from the Autolab frame. To remove the FRA2 module follow the instructions reported the following documents:...
  • Page 50 Autolab/Electronic load combination 1. For the PGSTAT128N, PGSTAT302N, PGSTAT302F and PGSTAT100N: All modules – Insert new module in 8-series cabinet.pdf 2. for the PGSTAT12, PGSTAT30, PGSTAT302 and PGSTAT100 All modules – Insert new module in 7-series cabinet.pdf The FRA2 module consists of 2 PCBs (see Figure 45). One PCB is the digital signal generator (DSG) PCB and the second one is the Analog PCB.
  • Page 51 Autolab/Electronic load combination Figure 46 – Pressure points on the DSG PCB Figure 47 – The removed DSG PCB and the Analog PCB of the FRA2 module Figure 47 shows the FRA2 module, with the removed DSG PSB. Locate JP2 and JP3 on the Analog PCB and close both jumpers by applying a bit a solder.
  • Page 52 Note The factory FRA2CAL.INI file can still be used. No recalibration is required. Reinstall the module in the Autolab following the instructions provided in the installation guides mentioned at the beginning of this section. After modification of the FRA2 module has been modified, the software needs to be adjusted.
  • Page 53 Autolab/Electronic load combination Figure 49 – The 10 V input range can be specified in the Hardware setup directly Set this toggle to 10 V as shown in Figure 49. Click OK to close the Hardware setup and save the modifications when prompted.

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