Seasonal energy storage system based on hydrogen for self sufficient living

SELF is a resource independent living and working environment. By on-board renewable electricity generation and storage, it accounts for all aspects of living, such as space heating and cooking as well as providing a purified rainwater supply and wastewater treatment, excluding food supply. Uninterrupted, on-demand energy and water supply are the key challenges. Off-grid renewable power supply fluctuations on daily and seasonal time scales impose production gaps that have to be served by local storage, a function normally fulfilled by the grid. While daily variations only obligate a small storage capacity, requirements for seasonal storage are substantial.The energy supply for SELF is reviewed based on real meteorological data and demand patterns for Zurich, Switzerland. A battery system with propane for cooking serves as a reference for battery-only and hybrid battery/hydrogen systems. In the latter, hydrogen is used for cooking and electricity generation. The analysis shows that hydrogen is ideal for long term bulk energy storage on a seasonal timescale, while batteries are best suited for short term energy storage. Although the efficiency penalty from hydrogen generation is substantial, in off-grid systems, this parameter is tolerable since the harvesting ratio of photovoltaic energy is limited by storage capacity.     

Hybrid energy storage systems for stand-alone electric power systems: optimization of system performance and cost through control strategies

The development of remote, renewable-based energy is hindered in part by the lack of affordable energy storage. Requiring power-on-demand from an energy system powered by intermittent or seasonal sources may necessitate one-month’s energy storage—an expensive proposition using conventional storage technologies. If multiple energy storage devices with complementary performance characteristics are used together, the resulting ‘hybrid energy-storage system’ can dramatically reduce the cost of energy storage over single storage systems. The coupling of conventional storage batteries with emerging hydrogen technologies provides one such hybrid system. Hydrogen energy storage in this context includes an electrolyzer, hydrogen storage tank, and a fuel cell. An additional component that must be considered is the control system that determines when the various components are used. Since the control system has an effect on component sizes and thus system and operating costs, the control algorithm must be carefully considered for any system with energy storage. For this study, a time-dependent model of a stand-alone, solar powered, battery-hydrogen hybrid energy storage system was developed to investigate energy storage options for cases where supply and demand of energy are not well matched daily or seasonally. Simulations were performed for residential use with measured solar fluxes and simulated hourly loads for a site at Yuma, Arizona, USA, a desert climate at 32.7 N latitude. Renewable-based power not needed to satisfy the load is stored for later use. Two hybrid energy-storage algorithms were considered. The first is a conventional ‘state-of-charge’ control system that uses the current state of the storage system for control. The second control system presumes knowledge of future demand through a feed-forward, neural net or other ‘intelligent’ control systems. Both algorithms use battery storage to provide much of the daily energy shifting and hydrogen to provide seasonal energy shifting, thus using each storage technology to its best advantage. The cost of storing energy with a hybrid energy-storage scheme was found to be much less expensive than either single storage method, with a hybrid system storage costing 48% of the cost of a hydrogen-only system and only 9% of the cost of a conventional, battery-only system. In addition, the neural-net control system is compared to a standard battery state-of-charge control scheme, and it is shown that neural-net control systems better utilize expensive components and result in less expensive electric power than state-of-charge control systems.     

Application of Petri nets for the energy management of a photovoltaic based power station including storage units

This paper deals with the energy management of a photovoltaic based power station. This power station includes storage units with batteries for long-term energy supply and ultracapacitors for fast dynamic power regulation. According to the availability of the primary source, the level of the stored energy and the request from the grid operator, we have defined and detailed three main operating modes for this system with a particular modeling tool: Petri nets. For each operating mode, we have designed an energy management algorithm in order to calculate the energy dispatching of an adjustable power margin for the storage units.     

Autonomous hybrid system and coordinated intelligent management approach in power system operation and control using hydrogen storage

Autonomous hybrid power systems are attractive research questions that deliver electricity to isolated consumers without being connected to the power grid. The deployment of autonomous hybrid power systems is considered as an option to improve energy security. For this reason, the main objective is to ensure the efficient production of electricity without interruption. To achieve this goal, we have proposed an accurate simulation system in which a solar energy component serves as a primary load supply, and an energy recovery component is based on a fuel cell. A long-term energy storage component comprises a water electrolyzer which is considered a primary storage and an ultracapacitor storage component deployed as a short-term storage of energy. To achieve the correct system operation, a new schema approach for intelligent energy management based on a multi-agent system is developed and discussed. The main task is to define the architecture of the multi-agent system and to define the functions of all the agents according to the characteristics of the energy needs and the production costs. Thus, in order to prove the reliability and effectiveness of the applied control strategy and its impact on the operation of the system, the proposed system is simulated using the Matlab/Simulink environment by referring to an extracted experimental database of the Tunisian Meteorological Service.     

When intermittent power production serves transient loads

Renewable power generation exhibits notorious intermittence. The power load varies daily and also seasonally. The topic of renewable generation, storage and grid interfacing is complex in that it brings into one setting many diverse interests and technologies. Our long-term goal is to help define ways to profitably increase renewable generation. In this paper, we focus on normal day for a grid operator, PJM, (Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland). The variability of wind and (and assumed) solar outputs require a certain capability for load following or storage. Using dynamic modelling, we estimate the variability of the wind output and we simulate a projected solar penetration of 3% of new capacity. To save for eventual use every unit of energy thus generated, a storage system must have the capability to levelize the supply of renewable power. The capacity requirements for storage and generation of such a system are mapped out in 1 min intervals, and are used to define the capacities and ramp rates for a hypothetical pumped storage plant. Knowledge of weather patterns may be helpful to plan dispatch and storage of renewable energy. The results of a brief excursion into the difficult topic of weather patterns are recorded here too.     

Increasing renewable energy sources in island energy supply: case study Porto Santo

While the energy supply of most islands depends mainly on expensive oil derivatives’ importation, the others are linked by usually a weak electricity grid connection to the mainland. Due to high energy costs the islands are proving to be excellent test beds for the introduction of new technologies, and some islands are trying to become so-called renewable islands, to satisfy their energy demand mainly or entirely from indigenous and renewable sources, thus increasing the security of supply, and employment opportunities, without necessarily increasing the costs. Islands that have energy sources, such as hydro or geothermal energy, can easily integrate them into the power system, but those with mainly intermittent renewable energy sources are confronted with the necessity of energy storage. The most promising technologies are reversible hydro where geography allows, and storing hydrogen where it does not. The stored hydrogen can later be used for electricity production, and also for transport. This paper describes the H₂RES model for optimisation of integration of hydrogen usage with intermittent renewable energy sources on the example of an isolated island in the Madeira archipelago, Porto Santo. It shows that it is possible to significantly increase the penetration of renewable energy sources, albeit at a relatively high cost, with hydrogen storage technology. The H₂RES model, which includes reversible hydro and batteries as storage technologies, can serve as a valuable tool for island energy planning.     

基于动态运行策略的太阳能分布式供能系统设计运行联合优化

提出将光伏剩余电量按照可变比例分配给储能电池及市政电网的动态运行策略,建立基于该策略的并网太阳能分布式供能系统设计运行联合优化模型,在不同分时电价下基于遗传算法对模型寻优,并将动态运行策略与对照运行策略（剩余电量优先并网或优先分配储能电池）下的系统运行结果进行比较分析。以陕西某乡村典型民居建筑为例进行分析,结果表明：1）分时电价的峰谷价差较大时,动态运行策略可有效降低太阳能分布式供能系统成本;2）分时电价的峰谷价差对于动态运行策略下储能电池的容量配置具有较大影响：峰谷价差越大,储能电池的配置容量越大;3）光伏度电补贴对3种运行策略下的系统成本影响程度为：动态运行策略>策略B（剩余电量优先分配储能电池）>策略A（剩余电量优先并网）。     

German central solar heating plants with seasonal heat storage

Central solar heating plants contribute to the reduction of CO₂-emissions and global warming. The combination of central solar heating plants with seasonal heat storage enables high solar fractions of 50% and more. Several pilot central solar heating plants with seasonal heat storage (CSHPSS) built in Germany since 1996 have proven the appropriate operation of these systems and confirmed the high solar fractions.Four different types of seasonal thermal energy stores have been developed, tested and monitored under realistic operation conditions: Hot-water thermal energy store (e.g. in Friedrichshafen), gravel-water thermal energy store (e.g. in Steinfurt-Borghorst), borehole thermal energy store (in Neckarsulm) and aquifer thermal energy store (in Rostock). In this paper, measured heat balances of several German CSHPSS are presented. The different types of thermal energy stores and the affiliated central solar heating plants and district heating systems are described. Their operational characteristics are compared using measured data gained from an extensive monitoring program. Thus long-term operational experiences such as the influence of net return temperatures are shown.     

An energy storage system for smart coal mine emergency power supply

为满足煤炭行业和煤矿企业对于供电可靠性日益增长的需求,同时探索兆瓦级储能系统在工业用户侧的实用化解决方案,本项目在内蒙古乌海平沟煤矿设计建造了基于铅酸电池和磷酸铁锂电池储能技术的矿用兆瓦级智能应急电源。系统主要功能为：在电网正常供电时,替代传统的油浸电容器进行无功补偿;在电网出现供电故障时,为煤矿的特别重要负荷提供至少30 min的连续可靠供电。除此外,系统还可根据用户需求执行包括削峰填谷、分布式新能源发电波动平抑在内的多种功能。为保证应急电源系统的安全性、可靠性和使用寿命,本工作在进行设计时着重考虑了蓄电池的选型、容量配比、成组设计以及储能变流系统（PCS）的电路拓扑设计和电池维护高级智能控制策略,旨在探索和实用。     

Design of hybrid power-to-power systems for continuous clean PV-based energy supply

The increasing penetration of intermittent renewable sources, fostering power sector decarbonization, calls for the adoption of energy storage systems as an essential mean to improve local electricity exploitation, reducing the impact of distributed power generation on the electric grid. This work compares the use of hydrogen-based Power-to-Power systems, battery systems and hybrid hydrogen-battery systems to supply a constant 1 MW_el load with electricity locally generated by a photovoltaic plant. A techno-economic optimization model is set up that optimizes the size and annual operation of the system components (photovoltaic field, electrolyzer, hydrogen storage tanks, fuel cell and batteries) with the objective of minimizing the annual average cost of electricity, while guaranteeing an imposed share of local renewable self-generation. Results show that, with the present values of investment costs and grid electricity prices, the installation of an energy storage system is not economically attractive by itself, whereas the installation of PV panels is beneficial in terms of costs, so that the baseline optimal solution consists of a 4.2 MW_p solar field capable to self-generate 33% of the load annually. For imposed shares of self-generation above 40%, decoupling generation and consumption becomes necessary. The use of batteries is slightly less expensive than the use of hydrogen storage systems up to a 92% self-generation rate. Above this threshold, seasonal storage becomes predominant and hybrid storage becomes cheaper than batteries. The sale of excess electricity is always important to support the plant economics, and a sale price reduction sensibly impacts the results. Hydrogen storage becomes more competitive when the need for medium and long terms energy shift increases, e.g. in case of having a cap on the available PV capacity.     

Optimisation of solar-hydrogen power system for household applications

A numerical method was developed for optimising solar–hydrogen energy system to supply renewable energy for typical household connected with the grid. The considered case study involved household located in Diyala Governorate, Iraq. The solar–hydrogen energy system was designed to meet the desired electrical load and increase the renewable energy fraction using optimum fuel cell capacity. The simulation process was conducted by MATLAB based on the experimental data for electrical load, solar radiation and ambient temperature at a 1-min time-step resolution. Results demonstrated that the optimum fuel cell capacity was approximately 2.25 kW at 1.8 kW photovoltaic power system based on the average of the daily energy consumption of 6.8 kWh. The yearly renewable energy fraction increased from 31.82% to 95.82% due to the integration of the photovoltaic system with a 2.25 kW fuel cell used as a robust energy storage unit. In addition, the energy supply, which is the economic aspect for the optimum system, levelised electricity cost by approximately $0.195/kWh. The obtained results showed that the proposed numerical analysis methodology offers a distinctive property that can be used effectively to optimise hybrid renewable energy systems.     

Numerical simulation of underground seasonal cold energy storage for a 10 MW solar thermal power plant in north-western China using TRNSYS

This paper aims to explore an efficient, cost-effective, and water-saving seasonal cold energy storage technique based on borehole heat exchangers to cool the condenser water in a 10 MW solar thermal power plant. The proposed seasonal cooling mechanism is designed for the areas under typical weather conditions to utilize the low ambient temperature during the winter season and to store cold energy. The main objective of this paper is to utilize the storage unit in the peak summer months to cool the condenser water and to replace the dry cooling system. Using the simulation platform transient system simulation program (TRNSYS), the borehole thermal energy storage (BTES) system model has been developed and the dynamic capacity of the system in the charging and discharging mode of cold energy for one-year operation is studied. The typical meteorological year (TMY) data of Dunhuang, Gansu province, in north-western China, is utilized to determine the lowest ambient temperature and operation time of the system to store cold energy. The proposed seasonal cooling system is capable of enhancing the efficiency of a solar thermal power plant up to 1.54% and 2.74% in comparison with the water-cooled condenser system and air-cooled condenser system respectively. The techno-economic assessment of the proposed technique also supports its integration with the condenser unit in the solar thermal power plant. This technique has also a great potential to save the water in desert areas.     

Analysis of the problem of optimal placement and capacity of the hydrogen energy storage system in the power system

Nowadays the trend of increasing the generation units based on renewable energy sources in the electric power system can be observed. Obviously, this is due to the intensifying level of consumer load and demand for electricity. However, renewable generation is characterized by intermittent energy production, which can cause and potential imbalance between generation and demand, especially during off-peak periods. Therefore, in order to ensure a reliable power supply to consumers, it is necessary to use a maneuverable reserve of capacity, such as energy storage systems, in conjunction with the renewable energy source unit. Over the past 10 years, the energy storage market has grown by almost 50%: the installed capacity of energy storage system in the world is about 5 GW. Analysis of the literature on the subject determines the need to study the impact of these devices on the parameters of electric power systems and one of the primary tasks is to determine the optimal location and capacity of energy storage system in the power system. This paper presents the result of solving the task of determining the optimal parameters of a hydrogen energy storage system using the particle swarm optimization method for example a test scheme radial distribution system – 33 bus IEEE. The choice of the type of energy storage is based on such advantages of a hydrogen energy storage system as environmental friendliness, high energy capacity and the ability to store electricity for a long period of time. In addition, compared to lithium-ion batteries, hydrogen energy storage systems have a long life time of about 25 years, during this period of time there is no degradation and significant deterioration of its properties. All these advantages of hydrogen as an energy carrier allow to take into account not only the criterion of total value of active power losses and its maximum reduction respectively, but the possibility and economic efficiency of partial use of the stored hydrogen for other needs when determining the optimal scenario of their operation in the process of discharge.     

Hydrogen as a battery for a rooftop household solar power generation unit

Decentralization of electrical power generation using rooftop solar units is projected to develop to not only mitigate power losses along transmission and distribution lines, but to control greenhouse gases emissions. Due to intermittency of solar energy, traditional batteries are used to store energy. However, batteries have several drawbacks such as limited lifespan, low storage capacity, uncontrolled discharge when not connected to a load and limited number of charge/discharge cycles. In this paper, the feasibility of using hydrogen as a battery is analyzed where hydrogen is produced by the extra diurnal generated electricity by a rooftop household solar power generation unit and utilized in a fuel cell system to generate the required electrical power at night. In the proposed design, two rooftop concentrated photovoltaic thermal (CPVT) systems coupled with an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) are used to generate electricity during 9.5 h per day and the extra power is utilized in an electrolyzer to produce hydrogen. Various working fluids (Isobutane, R134a, R245fa and R123) are used in the ORC system to analyze the maximum feasible power generation by this section. Under the operating conditions, the generated power by ORC as well as its efficiency are evaluated for various working fluids and the most efficient working fluid is selected. The required power for the compressor in the hydrogen storage process is calculated and the number of electrolyzer cells required for the hydrogen production system is determined. The results indicate that the hybrid CPVT-ORC system produces 2.378 kW of electricity at 160 suns. Supplying 65% of the produced electricity to an electrolyzer, 0.2606 kg of hydrogen is produced and stored for nightly use in a fuel cell system. This amount of hydrogen can generate the required electrical power at night while the efficiency of electrolyzer is more than 70%.     

Development of a renewable hydrogen economy: Optimization of existing technologies

There is an increasing need for new and greater sources of energy for future global transportation applications. One recognized possibility for a renewable, clean source of transportation fuels is solar radiation collected and converted into useable forms of electrical and/or chemical (hydrogen) energy. This paper describes methods for utilizing and combining existing technologies into systems that optimize solar energy collection and conversion into useful transportation fuels. Photovoltaic (PV)-electrolysis (solar hydrogen) and PV-battery charging systems described in this paper overcome inefficiencies inherent in past concepts, where DC power from the PV system was first converted to AC current and then used to power electrical devices at the point of generation, or fed back to the grid to reduce electricity costs. These past, non-optimized concepts included efficiency losses in power conversion and unnecessary costs. These drawbacks can be avoided by capitalizing on the unique feature of solar photovoltaic devices that match their maximum power point to the operating point of an electrolyzer or a battery charger without intervening power transformers. This concept is illustrated for two systems designed, built, and tested by General Motors for fueling a fuel cell electric vehicle and charging an automotive propulsion battery. Based on this research, we propose a scenario in which individual home-owners, businesses, or sites at remote locations with no grid electricity, can capture solar energy, store it as hydrogen generated via water electrolysis, or as electrical energy used to charge storage batteries. Such a decentralized energy system provides a home refueling option for drivers who only travel limited distances each day.     

Design and analysis of a solar tower power plant integrated with thermal energy storage system for cogeneration

In the current study, a solar tower–based energy system integrated with a thermal energy storage option is offered to supply both the electricity and freshwater through distillation and reverse osmosis technologies. A high‐temperature thermal energy storage subsystem using molten salt is considered for the effective and efficient operation of the integrated system. The molten salt is heated up to 565°C through passing the solar tower. The thermal energy storage tanks are designed to store heat up to 12 hours. The temperature variations in the storage tanks are studied and compared accordingly for evaluation. The effect of operating temperatures on the freshwater production and overall system efficiency is determined. About 24.46 MW electricity is generated in the steam turbine under sunny conditions. Furthermore, the storage subsystem stores heat during sunny hours to utilize later in cloudy hours and night time. The produced power decreases to 20.17 MW in discharging hours due to temperature decrease in the tank. The electricity generated by the system is then used to produce freshwater through the reverse osmosis units and also to supply electricity for the residential use. A total flowrate of 240.02 kg/s freshwater is obtained by distillation and reverse osmosis subsystems.     

Modeling of hydrogen and electrical energy storages in wind/PV energy system on the Lake Baikal coast

The paper presents a research on a green power supply system (producing no carbon dioxide and other harmful emissions) in the area of Baikal Lake, for the maximum loads of 10 kW and 100 kW. The system includes photovoltaic converters, wind turbines, batteries for electric energy storage and a system for hydrogen production, storage and energy use. Calculations based on the optimization mathematical model demonstrated the efficiency of the combined use of wind and solar energy in the considered areas, as well as the simultaneous storage of electric energy and hydrogen. The electric energy storage is most efficient for short-term time intervals whereas an increase in the duration of continuous energy “standstills” up to several days makes the storage of hydrogen more cost-effective.     

The design of long-life,high-efficiency PEM fuel cell power supplies for low power sensor networks

Field sensor networks have important applications in environmental monitoring, wildlife preservation, in disaster monitoring and in border security. The reduced cost of electronics, sensors and actuators make it possible to deploy hundreds if not thousands of these sensor modules. However, power technology has not kept pace. Current power supply technologies such as batteries limit many applications due to their low specific energy. Photovoltaics typically requires large bulky panels and is dependent on varying solar insolation and therefore requires backup power sources. Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cells are a promising alternative, because they are clean, quiet and operate at high efficiencies. However, challenges remain in achieving long lives due to factors such as degradation and hydrogen storage. In this work, we devise a framework for designing fuel cells power supplies for field sensor networks. This design framework utilize lithium hydride hydrogen storage technology that offers high energy density of up to 5000 Wh/kg. Using this design framework, we identify operating conditions to maximize the life of the power supply, meet the required power output and minimize fuel consumption. We devise a series of controllers to achieve this capability and demonstrate it using a bench-top experiment that operated for 5000 h. The laboratory experiments point towards a pathway to demonstrate these fuel cell power supplies in the field. Our studies show that the proposed PEM fuel cell hybrid system fueled using lithium hydride offers at least a 3 fold reduction in mass compared to state-of-the-art batteries and 3-5 fold reduction in mass compared to current fuel cell technologies.     

Dimensionless analysis of the global techno-economic feasibility of solar-hydrogen systems for constant year-round power supply

A novel dimensionless approach to analysing the capability of a solar electricity supply system with seasonal hydrogen storage to supply a constant load throughout the year is presented. The only input required specific to the location is its solar ratio, defined as the minimum daily solar energy input during the year divided by the maximum. As well as yielding an estimate of the saving in installed primary solar electricity generating capacity, the approach gives an indicative evaluation of the economic viability of adding the hydrogen storage to a photovoltaic-based solar supply, either for a large-scale grid or small scale autonomous application. The model has been validated using the results obtained from the more comprehensive RSHAP simulation model (RMIT Solar-Hydrogen Analysis Program). The dimensionless model is applied to a selection of 78 cities with varying latitudes across all five continents. For a round-trip storage efficiency of around 45% and the base-case unit costs of components assumed, solar-hydrogen systems would be economic in 55% of these cities. At 50% storage efficiency and/or lowered unit costs, solar-hydrogen systems would become viable in the vast majority of the cities, excepting those near the equator where the net benefits of adding storage are lower because of the more constant solar radiation over the year.     

Production of hydrogen for export from wind and solar energy,natural gas,and coal in Australia

Hydrogen production for export to Japan and Korea is increasingly popular in Australia. The theoretically possible paths include the use of the excess wind and solar energy supply to the grid to produce hydrogen from natural gas or coal. As a contribution to this debate, here I discuss the present contribution of wind and solar to the electricity grid, how this contribution might be expanded to make a grid wind and solar only, what is the energy storage needed to permit this supply, and what is the ratio of domestic total primary energy supply to electricity use. These factors are required to determine the likeliness of producing hydrogen for export. The wind and solar energy capacity, presently at 6.7 and 11.4 GW, have to increase almost 8 times up to values of 53 and 90 GW respectively to support a wind and solar energy only electricity grid for the southeast states only. Additionally, it is necessary to build-up energy storage of actual power >50 GW and stored energy >3000 GW h to stabilize the grid. If the other states and territories are considered, and also the total primary energy supply (TPES) rather than just electricity, the wind and solar capacity must be increased of a further 6–8 times. It is concluded that it is extremely unlikely that hydrogen for export could be produced from the splitting of the water molecule by using excess wind and solar energy, and it is very unlikely that wind and solar may fully cover the local TPES needs. The most likely scenario is production hydrogen via syngas from either natural gas or coal. Production from natural gas and coal needs further development of techniques, to include CO₂ capture, a way to reuse or store CO₂, and finally, the better energy efficiency of the conversion processes. There are several challenges for using natural gas or coal to produce hydrogen with near-zero greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies that ensure no CO₂ is released in the production process, and new technologies to separate the oxygen from the air, and in case of natural gas, the water, and the CO₂ from the combustion products, are urgently needed to make sense of the fossil fuel hydrogen production. There is no benefit from producing hydrogen from fossil fuels without addressing the CO₂ issue, as well as the fuel energy penalty issue during conversion, that is simply translating in a net loss of fuel energy with the same CO₂ emission.