Hydrogen Production System Using Alkaline Water Electrolysis Adapting to Fast Fluctuating Photovoltaic Power

Xing Cao, Jingang Wang (), Pengcheng Zhao, Haiting Xia, Yun Li, Liming Sun and Wei He
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Xing Cao: State Key Laboratory of Power Transmission Equipment and System Security and New Technology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
Jingang Wang: State Key Laboratory of Power Transmission Equipment and System Security and New Technology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
Pengcheng Zhao: State Key Laboratory of Power Transmission Equipment and System Security and New Technology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
Haiting Xia: State Key Laboratory of Power Transmission Equipment and System Security and New Technology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
Yun Li: Chongqing Yuxin Pingrui Electronic Co., Ltd., Chongqing 401329, China
Liming Sun: Chongqing Yuxin Pingrui Electronic Co., Ltd., Chongqing 401329, China
Wei He: State Key Laboratory of Power Transmission Equipment and System Security and New Technology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 8, 1-13

Abstract: Using photovoltaic (PV) energy to produce hydrogen through water electrolysis is an environmentally friendly approach that results in no contamination, making hydrogen a completely clean energy source. Alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) is an excellent method of hydrogen production due to its long service life, low cost, and high reliability. However, the fast fluctuations of photovoltaic power cannot integrate well with alkaline water electrolyzers. As a solution to the issues caused by the fluctuating power, a hydrogen production system comprising a photovoltaic array, a battery, and an alkaline electrolyzer, along with an electrical control strategy and energy management strategy is proposed. The energy management strategy takes into account the predicted PV power for the upcoming hour and determines the power flow accordingly. By analyzing the characteristics of PV panels and alkaline water electrolyzers and imposing the proposed strategy, this system offers an effective means of producing hydrogen while minimizing energy consumption and reducing damage to the electrolyzer. The proposed strategy has been validated under various scenarios through simulations. In addition, the system’s robustness was demonstrated by its ability to perform well despite inaccuracies in the predicted PV power.

Keywords: photovoltaic energy system; water electrolyzer; energy management; renewable energy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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