Design considerations of solar-driven hydrogen production plants for residential applications

Abstract

Abstract The objective of this work is to discuss design considerations related to the development of a stand-alone photovoltaic driven hydrogen production and consumption system. The referred system is currently on the design-phase so this work describes in particular the associated design considerations, governing equations, schematics and the expected system efficiency. The system design requirements include the production of enough energy to power an average residence located in the Ica city, Peru. The system design has been divided in four subsystems, each one having its own design considerations and limitations, (i) power, hydrogen (ii) production, (iii) storage and (iv) consumption. Regarding the power subsystem, the required considerations to generate the maximum amount of solar energy in the minimum amount of space are presented. For hydrogen production, different electrolyzer related technologies have been accounted for; including proton exchange (PEM), alkaline (AEC) and polymer (PEC). Hydrogen and oxygen storages are a critical aspect in the full hydrogen chain production. Currently no single technology satisfies all of the criteria required. As such, present technologies and selection considerations are presented. For using the produced hydrogen, fuel cell stacks including PEM and solid oxide ones are assessed. Finally, the right the combination of current, voltage (including conversion from DC to a constant AC supply) and fuel utilization maximizing efficiency and power output is determined.