New hybrid electrolyzer design could stabilize grids powered by wind and solar
Scientists have combined two competing hydrogen electrolyzer technologies to create a system that responds faster to grid frequency changes while cutting costs—a critical capability as renewable energy dominates power systems. The approach uses decentralized controls that require no communication between units, making it easier to scale across multiple sites.
Originaltitel: Decentralized Dynamic Power Sharing Control for Frequency Regulation Using Hybrid Hydrogen Electrolyzer Systems
<p>Hydrogen electrolyzers are promising tools for frequency regulation of future power systems with high penetration of renewable energies and low inertia. This is due to both the increasing demand for hydrogen and their flexibility as controllable load. The two main electrolyzer technologies are Alkaline Electrolyzers (AELs) and Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolyzers (PEMELs). However, they have trade-offs: dynamic response speed for AELs, and cost for PEMELs. This paper proposes the combination of both technologies into a Hybrid Hydrogen Electrolyzer System (HHES) to obtain a fast response for frequency regulation with reduced costs. A decentralized dynamic power sharing control strategy is proposed where PEMELs respond to the fast component of the frequency deviation, and AELs respond to the slow component, without the requirement of communication. The proposed decentralized approach facilitates a high reliability and scalability of the system, what is essential for expansion of hydrogen production. The effectiveness of the proposed strategy is validated in simulations and experimental results.</p>