Electrolysis system components for highly dynamic / intermittent operation

Project blog (in German)

► Article of June 2019 Special Newsletter Hydrogen + Fuel Cells on the occasion of f-cell 2019 (external link)

Project goals

Water electrolysis is a key technology for the production of hydrogen as an energy source for storing excess energy from renewable energy sources. The porject focuses on the coupling of the PEMWE (polymer electrolyte membrane electrolysis) with regenerative energies. The challenge hereby lies in the dynamic load profile and the associated changes in operating conditions. A control strategy is being developed in the ElyKon project. This allows PEMWE to continuously monitor the condition and is able to identify unfavorable operating conditions and counteract them. This means that the operating parameters of the PEMWE can be continuously optimized.

Desired results:

• Higher reliability (more operating hours per year in dynamic operation)
• Longer lifespan
• Higher energy efficiency

Application

In the HYPOS region 51 % of the electricity is generated from renewable energy sources like wind power, which has further expansion potential especially in the south. For the entire HYPOS region the electricity generation from wind power is to be increased from ca. 30 TWh/a in 2020 to 120 TWh/a in 2050. This covers 65 % of the total energy requirement. In a conservative scenario, the increase in excess electricity will rise from 10 to about 40 TWh/a.

In addition, the hydrogen demand of the industry is 4.8 Tm³/a and is currently only covered to a small extent by green hydrogen. In order to adjust to the production of green hydrogen from wind power, it is imperative to develop an electrolysis control system. It has to be designed for intermittent operation by wind power, especially for stand-alone solutions.