Experimental Analysis on a Commercial Power Electronic Converter in Power-to-Hydrogen System Based on PEM Electrolysis and Metal Hydrides

Paolo Pilati, Federico Ferrari, Riccardo Alleori, Francesco Falcetelli, Maria Alessandra Ancona, Francesco Melino, Michele Bianchi and Mattia Ricco ()
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Paolo Pilati: Department of Electrical, Electronic and Information Engineering (DEI), Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Viale del Risorgimento 2, 40136 Bologna, Italy
Federico Ferrari: Department of Industrial Engineering (DIN), Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Viale del Risorgimento 2, 40136 Bologna, Italy
Riccardo Alleori: Inter-Departmental Center for Industrial Research on Renewable Sources, Environment, Sea and Energy (CIRI–FRAME), Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Via Zamboni 33, 40131 Bologna, Italy
Francesco Falcetelli: Department of Industrial Engineering (DIN), Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Viale del Risorgimento 2, 40136 Bologna, Italy
Maria Alessandra Ancona: Department of Industrial Engineering (DIN), Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Viale del Risorgimento 2, 40136 Bologna, Italy
Francesco Melino: Department of Industrial Engineering (DIN), Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Viale del Risorgimento 2, 40136 Bologna, Italy
Michele Bianchi: Department of Industrial Engineering (DIN), Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Viale del Risorgimento 2, 40136 Bologna, Italy
Mattia Ricco: Department of Electrical, Electronic and Information Engineering (DEI), Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Viale del Risorgimento 2, 40136 Bologna, Italy

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 11, 1-16

Abstract: As the presence of renewable energy production grows, so does the need to find alternative solutions for long–term energy storage. One solution may be hydrogen, and more generally, power-to-gas systems, which could allow energy storage for longer periods than batteries. However, the problem of hydrogen storage remains a limitation to the deployment of this technology. A possible solution for the hydrogen storage could be metal hydrides. In this work, a power-to-gas system based on a 2.5 kW commercial electrolyzer coupled to a pair of AB2-type metal hydride cylinders with a total volume of 4 L is studied. A special focus is placed on the electrolyzer power converter. In particular, the current ripple generated on the side connected to the stack and the efficiency of the converter are studied. A series of tests are carried out to verify the behavior of the system with varying types of thermal conditioning of the hydrides. The results show that the converter used is not optimized for the chosen application, and the thermal conditioning influences the hydrogen adsorption rate and thus the electrolyzer’s behavior. Finally, a technique to operate the system at maximum efficiency is proposed.

Keywords: hydrogen; power electronics; PEM electrolyzer; AC/DC converter; efficiency; metal hydrides (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: 2025
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