Project Overview
This work builds on an existing hybrid solar and hydrogen charging-station research platform associated with the University of Texas at Tyler Houston Engineering Center and the Houston Community College Engineering Center of Excellence. My contribution concerns redesign, integration, firmware, troubleshooting, measurement validation, and technical documentation of the DAQ subsystem—not original design of the entire energy station.
The engineering objective is a repeatable measurement platform that can observe the photovoltaic (PV), battery, and hydrogen fuel-cell electrical paths while providing local temperature measurements, removable-media logging, and cloud telemetry for subsequent data reduction and system characterization.
My Role
Reviewed the legacy acquisition architecture; developed and debugged controller firmware; rebuilt sensor wiring; integrated voltage/current and Type-K thermocouple modules; brought up the local display and storage interfaces; and implemented Wi-Fi/ThingSpeak telemetry and data-quality fields.
The early redesign included an ESP32-S3 test configuration, an OLED display, bus-level-shifting experiments, and multiplexer proposals. These were development steps, not the present hardware baseline. Subsequent work consolidated sensing, display, and communications onto one Arduino UNO R4 WiFi.
Current DAQ Architecture
Three INA228 modules measure distinct electrical domains on a shared Inter-Integrated Circuit (I²C) bus. Two MCP9601 interfaces provide Type-K thermocouple measurements. Local display and data-storage functions are integrated with the same controller.
| Subsystem | Implemented hardware / interface | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Controller | Arduino UNO R4 WiFi | Coordinated sensor polling, local user interface, logging, and wireless telemetry |
| Fuel-cell electrical monitoring | INA228 · I²C address 0x44 | Voltage, current, and calculated electrical power |
| Battery monitoring | INA228 · I²C address 0x41 | Voltage, current, and calculated electrical power |
| Solar/PV monitoring | INA228 · I²C address 0x45 | Voltage, current, and calculated electrical power |
| Temperature monitoring | Two MCP9601 Type-K interfaces · 0x65 and 0x67 | Two local thermocouple channels |
| Operator display | 3.5-inch thin-film transistor (TFT) display shield | On-device monitoring without a connected computer |
| Local records | Removable TF/microSD storage; FAT32 file system; comma-separated values (CSV) | Portable measurement logs with time/data-validity fields |
| Remote records | Wi-Fi and ThingSpeak | Buffered cloud telemetry for later visualization and analysis |
Electrical Measurement
Fuel-cell, battery, and solar channels are instrumented independently. The logged data include measured quantities and derived power; the DAQ is not a substitute for hardware-level overcurrent or battery protection.
Display and Local Storage
A 3.5-inch display replaced the earlier OLED test interface. Removable-media logging supports offline review; the firmware includes retry handling for media availability during operation.
Telemetry and Data Quality
ThingSpeak upload has been demonstrated over Wi-Fi. Logging distinguishes valid, stale, and invalid time information rather than treating every timestamp as equally trustworthy.
Experimental Testing and Validation
Bench and outdoor tests established working data paths under specific experimental conditions. The ranges below describe observed test conditions, not hardware ratings, calibration certificates, or proof of performance throughout the entire operating envelope.
| Test / function | Observed outcome | Remaining qualification |
|---|---|---|
| I²C electrical sensing | All three INA228 devices were detected and brought into a working measurement configuration. | Continue cross-checking offsets, scaling, and uncertainty against reference instruments. |
| Thermocouple integration | Two addressed MCP9601 channels were integrated after earlier bus and wiring problems. | Verify calibration and long-term thermal measurement stability. |
| Display | 3.5-inch TFT interface was implemented on the Arduino-based DAQ. | Continue field usability testing. |
| Local data logging | FAT32/CSV logging and removable-media retry behavior were implemented. | Exercise failure recovery and card insertion/removal over extended runs. |
| Cloud telemetry | ThingSpeak communication was demonstrated, including buffered periodic upload. | Characterize network interruption and recovery under long-run conditions. |
| Power-system observation | Bench power-source tests and outdoor PV observations established initial voltage/current datasets. | Expand operating-point coverage and synchronized subsystem analysis. |
Development Milestones
April 2026 — Legacy Review and ESP32 Bench Tests
Reviewed prior system documentation; evaluated revised bus/power arrangements; tested ESP32-S3 sensor detection and an OLED display. Thermocouple and power-rail reliability issues informed the subsequent hardware direction.
May–June 2026 — Arduino Consolidation
Moved the working design to an Arduino UNO R4 WiFi, integrated the three INA228 and two MCP9601 devices, introduced the 3.5-inch TFT display, and restored removable-storage logging.
July 2026 — Acquisition Firmware Revision
Added device-identity verification, zero-current calibration support, raw/averaged CSV fields, and time-validity indicators for recorded measurements.
September–October 2026 — Telemetry and Endurance Work
Demonstrated periodic buffered ThingSpeak uploads and continued preparing longer-running tests and additional serial instrument interfaces.
Current Engineering Priorities
Additional Instrument Interfaces
Integrate serial communications with the charge controller and external flow instrumentation where supported, while separating verified measurements from planned channels.
Reliability and Data Integrity
Stress-test removable-media recovery, network reconnection, timestamp validity, and continuous acquisition; document any dropped or stale records rather than concealing them.
Calibration and Data Alignment
Expand reference-instrument comparison and align Arduino-generated data with separate MATLAB-based measurement and analysis workflows.
Documentation and Reproducibility
Keep firmware revisions, channel assignments, wiring records, and experimental procedures traceable as the platform evolves.
Public Documentation Boundary
This page describes my engineering contribution without distributing internal laboratory records, unpublished firmware, private credentials, or project materials whose release has not been authorized. The original hybrid energy station is a collaborative research platform; the description does not claim sole ownership of that system or endorsement by the participating institutions.
Published Instructional Manuals
I authored two published technical manuals for the Hybrid Solar–Hydrogen DAQ platform. They served as the primary instructional material for a completed DAQ course offering of approximately 20 students and were used for a second course offering.
The manuals document architecture, instrument setup, hardware/software integration, fault isolation, and repeatable laboratory workflows. Formal publication titles and version identifiers can be added after confirmation.
Public Reference
Acknowledgements
I thank Dr. Mohammad Biswas and the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at Tyler for project guidance, resources, and use of the Ratliff Engineering Laboratory facilities.
Related Work / Contact
This work connects embedded instrumentation, experimental energy systems, telemetry, and reproducible engineering data.