Setup and development of control systems in a test bench for sustainable propulsion systems testing

This thesis describes the setup and development of control systems for a pair of test benches adapted for sustainable propulsion testing. The use of hydrogen in the automotive and aviation industries is becoming a key topic. The need to test solutions based on this gas has led to the construction of a hydrogen storage system and distribution line at the MaSTeR Lab of the University of Bologna, located in Via Cicognani 5/7, Forlì. The work illustrates the devices required for the operation of the test cells, detailing their working principles and user interfaces. The setup within the different rooms is discussed, explaining the motive behind their positioning and the installation procedures. In particular, the operation of three AVL devices is presented: the Dynamic Fuel Meter 733S, the 415S Variable Sampling Smoke Meter, and the AVL HyTron. The latter plays a key role in enabling the transition of the test benches toward sustainable propulsion testing. The various operating states of the AVL HyTron are outlined, along with the measuring devices installed inside the unit and the main parameters it is capable of monitoring. The thesis also describes the software used to control these devices, focusing on VeriStand, an environment for Real-Time hardware testing. LabVIEW was employed to develop a Custom Device for controlling and monitoring the AVL HyTron via RS-232 serial protocol, completing a previous implementation that was originally designed for controlling the AVL 733S and AVL 455S.