Enhanced Efoy Fuel Cell Monitoring with Insytly: A Router-Free Approach to Fuel Cell Monitoring

Efoy fuel cells are renowned for their reliability and efficiency in providing off-grid power, particularly in remote or challenging environments where low power is required and solar/wind applications cannot provide 100% required power in dark/winter months. 

Effective monitoring of these systems is crucial for ensuring optimal performance, predictive refills of methanol, and overall system longevity. 

Using Insytly to remotely monitor Efoy fuel cells, provides a router-free architecture that significantly reduces power consumption and simplifies deployment with a single connection.

The Insytly Advantage: Eliminating Router Dependency

Traditional remote monitoring solutions often need the deployment of a router such as Teltonika or Pepwave to provide Ethernet connectivity to the Efoy fuel cell and link a cloud-based monitoring platform. 

This however has a few operational overheads:

• Increased Power Consumption: Routers, even low-power models, typically consume an additional 2.5-5 Ah per day (at 12V DC) or more in low signal. In off-grid scenarios, this small consumption can impact the overall energy budget, This uses more fuel per day for the Efoy system increasing the running costs associated and callout needs. 
• Deployment Complexity: Configuring a router adds additional aspects around SIM management, data forwarding, security and VPN tunnels. 
• More Points of Failure: Each additional component in a system introduces a new potential point of failure. Router hang-up, network connectivity issues, or configuration errors will disrupt data transmission and compromise monitoring capabilities thus requiring a callout.

At Insytly we address these challenges by employing our direct cellular communication module embedded within our HUB2 monitoring unit. This module establishes a direct connection to the cellular network, bypassing the need for an intermediary router and secures all the data at collection point. 

The Efoy fuel cell directly interfaces with the Insytly unit through the RS232 port, which then transmits operational data (e.g., voltage, current, fuel levels, error codes) to the Insytly cloud platform at a set interval.

Technical Architecture and Data Flow

The Insytly remote monitoring unit connects directly to the Efoy fuel cell’s communication port (RS232 SIO / Plain text). This direct connection allows the Insytly unit to convert the Efoy’s proprietary data protocols into our standard message format.

The 3 key components of the Insytly End to End Solution are:

1. Insytly HUB2 Monitoring Unit: This robust, low-power device houses the micro-controller for data acquisition and processing, the cellular modem for communication and is designed for harsh environmental conditions, common in Efoy deployments.
2. Efoy Integration Module: A small Board that converts the Efoy SIO commands output to a standard HUB2 readable format that we use for accessory reading.
3. Insytly Cloud Platform: A secure, scalable cloud infrastructure that receives, stores, and processes the Efoy data alongside your asset data and Victron. It provides a user-friendly web interface, dedicated mobile applications and a no code dashboard builder for data visualisation, alerting, and reporting.

The data flow is as follows:

• Data Acquisition: The Insytly unit  polls the Efoy fuel cell for operational parameters.
• Data Processing: Raw data is processed and formatted by the Efoy Integration Module. This standardises the data.
• Secure Transmission: Encrypted data is transmitted over the cellular network to the Insytly cloud platform via MQTT.
• Cloud Storage and Analysis: Data is stored in our analytics engine allowing quick access to data trends for months and years.
• User Access: Users can access the processed data and insights via the Insytly web portal or app and even integrate it into their existing systems via the provided API.

Power Efficiency: A Core Differentiator

The elimination of the router translates directly into a tangible power saving. By removing between 2.5 Ah – 5 Ah for daily consumption associated with a router, the overall energy footprint of the monitoring system is significantly reduced.

Comparative Power Consumption Model (12V DC System):

This 2.5 – 5Ah daily saving, makes a substantial reduction over weeks and months of operation. For systems relying solely on the Efoy for power generation or mixed with solar, this extends the operational autonomy by days each month or even through a winter season with ease, reduces the need for fuel refills, and minimises the strain on the battery bank. 

In applications where power generation is critical and constrained (e.g., remote telecoms, environmental sensors), this optimisation is critical.

Additional Technical Benefits

Beyond power savings, the Insytly system offers several other technical advantages:

• Simplified Installation: The removal of a router streamlines the installation process, reducing the time and technical expertise required for deployment. This is particularly beneficial for large-scale deployments or installations in hard-to-reach locations as a simple plug and play HUB2 Architecture.
• Enhanced Reliability: Fewer components  lead to a more reliable system. The Insytly unit is designed for reliability with onboard network control and connectivity Algorithms, with robust enclosures and wide operating temperature ranges.
• Global Connectivity: Extensive coverage across multi networks on Full 4G LTE, making Insytly suitable for monitoring Efoy fuel cells almost anywhere in the world where cellular service is available.
• Scalability: The cloud-based architecture allows for seamless scalability, enabling users to monitor a single Efoy unit or a vast fleet of hundreds, all from a unified platform.
• Proactive Maintenance: Real-time data and customisable alerts through our dashboard builder enable operators to identify potential issues before they escalate into critical failures. This allows for scheduled maintenance interventions, minimising downtime and extending the lifespan of the Efoy fuel cells.
• Built for Operations: A full suite of tools and no-code dashboard provide companies with actionable dashboards that fit the requirements of the team.

But what if I need the router to send back other data? 

For applications that need sensor data alongside power and system, our HUB2 offers an additional channel of data where we can develop integration boards to provide up to 32 core values of data from 1 or more sensors. Or our HUB2 unit with our relay module can periodically power up the router for full data transfer and then turn it back off with our automated scheduling. Giving both full power control and remote control abilities. 

Conclusion

For professionals responsible for deploying and maintaining Efoy fuel cell systems or like systems, Insytly offers a great cost reduction remote monitoring solution. 

By removing the need for an external router, Insytly not only simplifies deployment and enhances system reliability but also delivers a significant daily power saving. 

Giving the following key points:

• Extended Autonomy and days of power
• Remote Monitoring of all equipment
• Reduced power usage
• A better cloud solution
• Reduced running costs
• One single provider solution

You can book a demo with our team to discuss our Efoy fuel cell monitoring here.