Using NI FieldPoint and LabVIEW Real-Time to Perform Closed-System Experiments at the Prototype Laboratory Biosphere

Author(s):
Mark Van Thicco - Biosphere Foundation
Gerard Houghton - Biosphere Foundation

Industry:
Life Science, University/Education, Research

Products:
Compact FieldPoint, LabVIEW, LabVIEW Datalogging and Supervisory Control Module, FieldPoint

The Challenge:
Constructing an advanced prototype Laboratory Biosphere to perform pioneering closed-system experiments, which require the acquisition of data from a wide range of sensors, archiving, retrieval and graphical presentation of the results, and the ability to remotely control HVAC and other critical mechanical systems in real time.

The Solution:
Using National Instruments FieldPoint I/O system to collect data and provide control capabilities, as well as LabVIEW Real-Time and the LabVIEW Datalogging and Supervisory Control Module to manipulate and archive data and output data over the internet for controlled remote access.

Laboratory Biosphere
After designing, building, and operating the Biosphere 2 research facility since the 1980s, the core design team of that ground-breaking project is now performing advanced research in the rapidly developing fields of biospherics, which includes controlled ecological life support systems (CELSS) and advanced life support systems (ALSS). Described as ‘an engineering marvel’ and recently voted by the Discovery Channel as the third most advanced engineering project of the twentieth century, Biosphere 2 was a 3.2 hectare foot-print, closed-system facility, containing seven terrestrial biomes, including an ocean system, a desert biome and a tropical rain-forest. From the outset, this experimental facility provided novel scientific insights into the complex natural processes that operate on Earth at the planetary scale. The Biosphere Foundation’s current initiative is the development of a series of small-scale modular biospheres, which relies heavily on the current laboratory biosphere, a 12-ft long, 12-ft diameter, 1400 cu ft, prototype sealed chamber.

We designed the Laboratory Biosphere to perform experiments on sustainable, soil-based, agricultural systems and evaluate interactions along multiple vectors, including light, water, atmospheric composition, temperature, and humidity to determine optimal growing conditions for a variety of selected crops within closed system environments. The entire range of modular biosphere systems will provide essential base-line data for many developing technologies. In addition, this data, together with the practical know-how developed in the operation of these complex systems, will be critical to a wide range of future applications, which potentially includes the successful operation of a sustainable research base on Mars.

Achieving a Low-Cost, Flexible Solution with NI LabVIEW Real-Time and FieldPoint I/O
Because of the pioneering nature of this research, no single off-the-shelf hardware or software systems exists to provide immediate solutions to the complex specifications of the modular biosphere project. Initially, we investigated the use of microprocessors to acquire data from a large number of sensors and provide feedback and control systems using workstations. However, such an approach would have demanded long hours dedicated to designing, programming, testing and tweaking the systems before achieving even simple initial objectives. Instead, we integrated National Instruments LabVIEW Real-Time and the LabVIEW Datalogging and Supervisory Control Module running under Windows 2000 and NI FieldPoint I/O hardware, including a range of eight-channel analog input modules to collect and transfer data from the sensors and modules to perform manual and automated system control. With LabVIEW Real-Time and FieldPoint I/O, we achieved a low-cost and highly-integrated solution that remains flexible for future development and system expansion and eliminates the need of a custom-designed system

Other benefits of this decision to use NI software and hardware became evident as the project rapidly proceeded from installation of the test chamber and its associated equipment to setting up the sensor system, datalogging and acquisition modules, and the computer network tasks to gather and archive the resulting data. The Laboratory Biosphere prototype is a much smaller system than the massive Biosphere 2 facility, which required whole banks of dedicated dataloggers. With the small form factor of the FieldPoint, we easily and efficiently installed the modules in small cabinets.

Other important benefits included:

• Managers and consultants can track ongoing experiments in real-time from anywhere in the world using remote capabilities built into the software
• Ease of setup and use, as well as extensive graphics and internet connectivity capabilities
• Operators can run the software on a legacy Windows computer network
• High level of integration in the collection and manipulation of many data-sets
• Operators from a wide range backgrounds and abilities, including engineers, scientists, machine operators, Web-savvy technicians, can easily operate the NI-based system
• Researchers simultaneously can collect scientific, engineering, and educational data using the same hardware and software configuration
  
  

Internet Capabilities Enhance Student Participation of Closed-System Experiments
The ability of this NI-based system to integrate with the Internet was key for rapid publication and dissemination of real-time data. As a leading pioneer in the field, the Biosphere Foundation intends to publish online data and images from its ongoing series of experiments as part of its educational program. Eventually, it will be possible for students of all levels to track and participate in real-time discussions of closed-system experiments as they develop from start to finish.

NI Representatives Provide Superior Product Integration Support
Working in close cooperation with NI representatives, we learned how to best integrate the NI data acquisition systems in the various infrastructure layers of the Laboratory Biosphere under construction. In addition to providing strong telephone support during the early stages of integrating the NI hardware and software, many National Instruments employees from different departments took a close interest in the overall project, offering helpful advice about features and the underlying potential of the NI systems specified. Because of this gradual approach, it was possible to implement a simple first-approximation system that we could reconfigure and refine as the Laboratory Biosphere system grew in complexity.

Conducting Successful Experiments with NI Products
After an initial 'shakedown experiment' to test the mechanical systems, we collected a significant amount of interesting data during the first three-month closed experiment – growing a crop of dwarf soy-bean in the summer of 2002. Currently, we are adding new features to the system by integrating cameras into the test-module that will use the NI Vision software functionality to provide visual feed-back to better understand and control of the conditions of the sealed Laboratory Biosphere.

Thus far, we have succeeded in our first series of Laboratory Biosphere tests and experiments, and we have scheduled a more ambitious series of experiments for the coming year. We look forward to continuing this ground-breaking project over the next several years in conjunction with NI as we continue to use the company’s highly customizable software and hardware systems to maintain our current position as the forefront of closed-system technologies.

For more information, contact:
Gerard Houghton or Mark Van Thicco
Biosphere Foundation
9 Silver Hills Road
Tel: 505-474-7444
Fax: 505-424-3336

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