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Dynamic Modeling of a PEM Fuel Cell Power Plant for Flexibility Optimization and Grid Support

Abstract

The transition toward high shares of non-programmable renewable energy sources in the power grid requires an increase in the grid flexibility to guarantee grid reliability and stability. This work, developed within the EU project Grasshopper, identifies hydrogen Fuel Cell (FC) power plants, based on low temperature PEM cells, as a source of flexibility for the power grid. A dynamic numerical model of the flexible FC system is developed and tested against experimental data from a 100-kW pilot plant, built within the Grasshopper project. The model is then applied to assess the flexible performance of a 1 MW system in order to optimize the scale-up of the pilot plant to the MW-size. Simulations of load-following operation show the flexibility of the plant, which can ramp up and down with a ramp rate depending only on an externally imposed limit. Warm-up simulations allow proposing solutions to limit the warm-up time. Of main importance are the minimization of the water inventory in the system and the construction of a compact system, which minimizes the distance between the components.

Funding source: This project has received funding from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking (now Clean Hydrogen Partnership) under Grant Agreement No 779430. This Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation program, Hydrogen Europe and Hydrogen Europe Research.
Related subjects: Applications & Pathways
Countries: Italy
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/content/journal3622
2022-06-30
2024-12-14
/content/journal3622
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