The use of renewable energy sources for distributed power generation is the most considered alternative to the use of fossil fuels in centralized power plants. However, due to their discontinuous operation, the availability of suitable energy storage systems is required. In this field, hydrogen storage technologies are one of the most interesting options. Hydrogen production, storage and utilization technologies have a high innovation content even if several tecnical and economical problems remain to be solved. In this framework, Sardegna Ricerche has promoted the realization of the “Concentrating Solar and Hydrogen from Renewable Energy Sources” Laboratory in collaboration with the University of Cagliari. Main mission of the laboratory is implementation, testing and demonstration of the technologies related to the production, storage and use of hydrogen from renewable energy sources. For this reason, the main research activities are in the field of the electrochemical characterization of fuel cell stacks and their materials with the aim to improve performance in terms of durability and efficiency, as well as the development of hydrogen storage systems. In particular, the laboratory includes a stand-alone micro-grid powered exclusively by a photovoltaic array and a wind turbine. The microgrid is also coupled with two different energy storage systems: a battery bank and a hydrogen storage system. In particular, the latter is based on two PEM electrolyzers (1 Nm3/h each), four hydrogen storage tanks (1 m3 each) and a PEMFC fuel cell (5 kW). The main aim of this paper is to carry out a detailed analysis of the expected micro-grid performance. In particular, the focus was laid on the implementation of a novel energy management system (EMS). The proposed EMS defines the optimal generation scheduling of the two storage devices in order to minimize operating costs and maximize the efficiency of the system. The results of a comparative study with more conventional EMS demonstrate that the proposed EMS leads to a decrease of almost 5-10% of the annual operating costs and energy losses.
Hydrogen as a clean energy carrier: the microgrid at the “Concentrating Solar and Hydrogen from Renewable Energy Sources Laboratory"
CAU, GIORGIO;COCCO, DANIELE;PETROLLESE, MARIO
2014-01-01
Abstract
The use of renewable energy sources for distributed power generation is the most considered alternative to the use of fossil fuels in centralized power plants. However, due to their discontinuous operation, the availability of suitable energy storage systems is required. In this field, hydrogen storage technologies are one of the most interesting options. Hydrogen production, storage and utilization technologies have a high innovation content even if several tecnical and economical problems remain to be solved. In this framework, Sardegna Ricerche has promoted the realization of the “Concentrating Solar and Hydrogen from Renewable Energy Sources” Laboratory in collaboration with the University of Cagliari. Main mission of the laboratory is implementation, testing and demonstration of the technologies related to the production, storage and use of hydrogen from renewable energy sources. For this reason, the main research activities are in the field of the electrochemical characterization of fuel cell stacks and their materials with the aim to improve performance in terms of durability and efficiency, as well as the development of hydrogen storage systems. In particular, the laboratory includes a stand-alone micro-grid powered exclusively by a photovoltaic array and a wind turbine. The microgrid is also coupled with two different energy storage systems: a battery bank and a hydrogen storage system. In particular, the latter is based on two PEM electrolyzers (1 Nm3/h each), four hydrogen storage tanks (1 m3 each) and a PEMFC fuel cell (5 kW). The main aim of this paper is to carry out a detailed analysis of the expected micro-grid performance. In particular, the focus was laid on the implementation of a novel energy management system (EMS). The proposed EMS defines the optimal generation scheduling of the two storage devices in order to minimize operating costs and maximize the efficiency of the system. The results of a comparative study with more conventional EMS demonstrate that the proposed EMS leads to a decrease of almost 5-10% of the annual operating costs and energy losses.
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