Assessment of hydrogen production from waste heat using hybrid systems of Rankine cycle with proton exchange membrane/solid oxide electrolyzer

A techno-economic assessment of hydrogen production from waste heat using a proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer and solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) integrated separately with the Rankine cycle via two different hybrid systems is investigated. The two systems run via three available cement waste heats of temperatures 360 °C, 432 °C, and 780 °C with the same energy input. The waste heat is used to run the Rankine cycle for the power production required for the PEM electrolyzer system, while in the case of SOEC, a portion of waste heat energy is used to supply the electrolyzer with the necessary steam. Firstly, the best parameters; Rankine working fluid for the two systems and inlet water flow rate and bleeding ratio for the SOEC system are selected. Then, the performance of the two systems (Rankine efficiency, total system efficiency, hydrogen production rate, and economic and CO₂ reduction) is investigated and compared. The results reveal that the two systems' performance is higher in the case of steam Rankine than organic, while a bleeding ratio of 1% is the best condition for the SOEC system. Rankine output power, total system efficiency, and hydrogen production rate rose with increasing waste heat temperature having the same energy. SOEC system produces higher hydrogen production and efficiency than the PEM system for all input waste heat conditions. SOEC can produce 36.9 kg/h of hydrogen with a total system efficiency of 23.8% at 780 °C compared with 27.4 kg/h and 14.45%, respectively, for the PEM system. The minimum hydrogen production cost of SOEC and PEM systems is 0.88 $/kg and 1.55 $/kg, respectively. The introduced systems reduce CO₂ emissions annually by about 3077 tons.     

考虑多变量因素影响的光伏PEM制氢系统建模与分析

针对复杂工况对光伏制氢系统性能产生不确定性的影响,提出考虑多变量因素影响的光伏制氢系统模型,探索辐照度、温度、膜厚、压力等因素对光伏质子交换膜（PEM）制氢系统的影响。系统首先建立考虑辐照度、温度、膜厚、压力等因素影响的光伏-质子交换膜电解槽-氢储罐的光伏制氢模型,之后对系统进行定量计算和定性分析,并依据实际光伏数据进行实验验证。结果表明,在额定功率范围内,太阳电池输出电流和功率随辐照度的增加而增大,随温度的升高而降低。质子交换膜电解槽电压随辐照度、膜厚、压力的增加而增大,随温度的升高而减小。太阳电池输出功率、质子交换膜电解槽电压的变化趋势与辐照度变化趋势具有一致性。最终计算得到太阳电池系统、质子交换膜电解槽系统和总系统效率分别为16.8%、72.2%和12.1%。     

Exergy recovery during LNG regasification: Electric energy production – Part one

In LNG regasification facilities, for exergy recovery during regasification, an option could be the production of electric energy recovering the energy available as cold. The authors propose an innovative process which uses a cryogenic stream of LNG during regasification as a cold source in an improved CHP plant (combined heat and power). Considering the LNG regasification projects in progress all over the World, an appropriate design option could be based on a modular unit having a mean regasification capacity of 2 × 10⁹ standard m³/yr.This paper deals with an outlook of LNG trading now expanding in the World and gives a concise state of the art with a review of technology seeming that proposed. Then an innovative CHP plant and results pertaining the selection of working fluids, made with an optimization analysis, are presented.     

Energy,exergy, economic and environmental (4E) analysis of using city gate station (CGS) heater waste for power and hydrogen production: A comparative study

This paper deals with energy, exergy, economic, and environmental (4E) analysis of two new combined systems for simultaneous power and hydrogen production. The combined systems are integrated from a city gate station (CGS) system, a Rankine cycle (RC), an absorption power cycle (APC), and a proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer. Since the pressure of natural gas (NG) in transmission pipeline is high, this pressure is reduced at CGS to a lower pressure. However, this NG has also ample potential to be recovered for multiple productions, too. In the proposed systems, the outlet energy of NG is used for power and hydrogen production by employing RC/APC and PEM electrolyzer. The power sub-cycles are driven by waste heat of CGS, while PEM electrolyzer is driven by this waste heat along with a portion of CGS-Turbine output power. A comprehensive thermodynamic modeling and parametric study of the proposed combined systems are conducted from the 4E analysis viewpoint. The results of two proposed systems are compared with each other, considering a fixed value of 1 MW for RC- and APC-Turbines power. Under the same external conditions and using steam as working fluid of RC, the thermal efficiency of the combined CGS/PEM-RC and -APC systems are obtained 32.9% and 33.6%, respectively. The overall exergy efficiency of the combined CGS/PEM-RC and -APC systems are also calculated by 47.9% and 48.9%, respectively. Moreover, the total sum unit cost of product (SUCP) and CO₂ emission penalty cost rate are obtained 36.9 $/GJ and 0.033 $/yr for the combined CGS/PEM-RC and 36 $/GJ and 0.211 $/yr for the combined CGS/PEM-APC systems, respectively. The results of exergy analysis also revealed that the vapor generator (in both systems) has the main contribution in the overall exergy destruction.     

Performance assessment of a solar hydrogen and electricity production plant using high temperature PEM electrolyzer and energy storage

This paper investigates the performance of a high temperature Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) electrolyzer integrated with concentrating solar power (CSP) plant and thermal energy storage (TES) to produce hydrogen and electricity, concurrently. A finite-time-thermodynamic analysis is conducted to evaluate the performance of a PEM system integrated with a Rankine cycle based on the concept of exergy. The effects of solar intensity, electrolyzer current density and working temperature on the performance of the overall system are identified. A TES subsystem is utilized to facilitate continuous generation of hydrogen and electricity. The hydrogen and electricity generation efficiency and the exergy efficiency of the integrated system are 20.1% and 41.25%, respectively. When TES system supplies the required energy, the overall energy and exergy efficiencies decrease to 23.1% and 45%, respectively. The integration of PEM electrolyzer enhances the exergy efficiency of the Rankine cycle, considerably. However, it causes almost 5% exergy destruction in the integrated system due to conversion of electrical energy to hydrogen energy. Also, it is concluded that increase of working pressure and membrane thickness leads to higher cell voltage and lower electrolyzer efficiency. The results indicate that the integrated system is a promising technology to enhance the performance of concentrating solar power plants.     

Mixed refrigerant as working fluid in Organic Rankine Cycle for hydrogen production driven by geothermal energy

The possibility of utilizing low temperature heat source systems for producing electricity has been significant due to increasing energy demand. In this study, the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) integrated with proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer is analyzed thermodynamically and economically. A mixture of butane, pentane and iso-pentane is selected as working fluid. The results show that utilizing the mixed refrigerant enhances the performance of the system and results in a higher hydrogen production rate because of a glide match of temperature profiles in the heat exchangers. Economic analysis results which are helpful in designing entire the system show that the highest cost component is electrolyzer, followed by the turbine and condenser.     

Power generation potential of liquified natural gas regasification terminals

The share of liquified natural gas (LNG) in the international trade of natural gas (NG) is continually increasing. This presents increasing opportunities to build power plants to generate electricity at LNG regasification terminals rather than wasting the power generation potential of LNG at about −162°C by regasifying it by seawater, ambient air, or by burning NG. Typically, over 5% of the NG received at LNG plants is used to liquify the remaining incoming gaseous NG at environmental conditions. Theoretically, all the energy consumed at LNG liquefaction plants can be recovered at LNG regasification terminals. In this study, the theoretical and practical power generation potential of regasified LNG is investigated by performing energy and exergy analyses. It is shown that up to 0.191 kWh of electric power can be generated during the regasification of LNG per standard m³ of NG regasified. The potential economic gains associated with power generation at LNG regasification facilities are demonstrated by analyzing the 2018 LNG imports of Turkey as a case study and the world. It is shown that the 314 million tons of LNG imported globally in 2018 has the electric power generation potential of 88 billion kWh with a market value of over 10 billion USD. It also has the potential to offset 38 million tons of CO₂ emissions.     

基于新能源发电的电解水制氢直流电源研究

利用新能源发电进行电解水制氢是实现新能源就地消纳和氢能利用的重要途径,以匹配电解水制氢工作特性的制氢电源为研究对象,通过分析质子交换膜电解槽电解电流、温度与电解槽端口电压、能量效率、制氢速度之间的关系,得出制氢电源需具备输出低电流纹波、输出大电流、宽范围电压输出的特性。为满足新能源电解制氢系统需求,提出一种基于Y型三相交错并联LLC拓扑结构的制氢电源方案,该方案谐振腔三相交错并联输出,满足电解槽大电流低纹波工作特性,并采用脉冲频率控制实现谐振软开关,提高变换效率。最后,搭建仿真模型和6 kW模块化实验样机,验证所提出方案的合理性与可行性。     

Analysis and performance assessment of a combined geothermal power-based hydrogen production and liquefaction system

In this paper, the thermodynamic study of a combined geothermal power-based hydrogen generation and liquefaction system is investigated for performance assessment. Because hydrogen is the energy of future, the purpose of this study is to produce hydrogen in a clear way. The results of study can be helpful for decision makers in terms of the integrated system efficiency. The presented integrated hydrogen production and liquefaction system consists of a combined geothermal power system, a PEM electrolyzer, and a hydrogen liquefaction and storage system. The exergy destruction rates, exergy destruction ratios and exergetic performance values of presented integrated system and its subsystems are determined by using the balance equations for mass, energy, entropy, energy and exergy and evaluated their performances by means of energetic and exergetic efficiencies. In this regard, the impact of some design parameters and operating conditions on the hydrogen production and liquefaction and its exergy destruction rates and exergetic performances are investigated parametrically. According to these parametric analysis results, the most influential parameter affecting system exergy efficiency is found to be geothermal source temperature in such a way that as geothermal fluid temperature increases from 130 °C to 200 °C which results in an increase of exergy efficiency from 38% to 64%. Results also show that, PEM electrolyzer temperature is more effective than reference temperature. As PEM electrolyzer temperature increases from 60 °C to 85 °C, the hydrogen production efficiency increases from nearly 39% to 44%.     

Exergy,exergoeconomic and multi-objective optimization of a clean hydrogen and electricity production using geothermal-driven energy systems

In this research paper, comprehensive thermodynamic modeling of an integrated energy system consisting of a multi-effect desalination system, geothermal energy system, and hydrogen production unit is considered and the system performance is investigated. The system's primary fuel is a geothermal two-phase flow. The system consists of a single flash steam-based power system, ORC, double effect water–lithium bromide absorption cooling system, PEM electrolyzer, and MED with six effects. The effect of numerous design parameters such as geothermal temperature and pressure on the net power of steam turbine and ORC cycle, the cooling capacity of an absorption chiller, the amount of produced hydrogen in PEM electrolyzer, the mass flow rate of distillate water from MED and the total cost rate of the system are studied. The simulation is carried out by both EES and Matlab software. The results indicate the key role of geothermal temperature and show that both total exergy efficiency and total cost rate of the system elevate with increasing geothermal temperature. Also, the impact of changing absorption chiller parameters like evaporator and absorber temperatures on the COP and GOR of the system is investigated. Since some of these parameters have various effects on cost and efficiency as objective functions, a multi-objective optimization is applied based on a Genetic algorithm for this system and a Pareto-Frontier diagram is presented. The results show that geothermal main temperature has a significant effect on both system exergy efficiency and cost of the system. An increase in this temperature from 260 C to 300 C can increase the exergy efficiency of the system for an average of 12% at various working pressure and also increase the cost of the system by 13%.     

Exergy recovery during LNG regasification: Electric energy production – Part two

In liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification facilities, for exergy recovery during regasification, an option could be the production of electric energy recovering the energy available as cold. In a previous paper, the authors propose an innovative process which uses a cryogenic stream of LNG during regasification as a cold source in an improved combined heat and power (CHP) plant. Considering the LNG regasification projects in progress all over the World, an appropriate design option could be based on a modular unit having a mean regasification capacity of 2 × 10⁹ standard cubic meters/year.This paper deals with the results of feasibility studies, developed by the authors at DREAM in the context of a research program, on ventures based on thermodynamic and economic analysis of improved CHP cycles and related innovative technology which demonstrate the suitability of the proposal.     

Exergy recovery in regasification facilities – Cold utilization: A modular unit

The paper deals with the problem of cold recovery for direct utilization both in the site of regasification facility and far from it.A modular LNG regasification unit is proposed having the regasification capacity of 2 billion standard cubic meters/year of gas. The modular plant is based on use of a power cycle working with ethane or ethylene which allows operation of cold energy transfer, contained in LNG to be regasified, in a range of temperatures suitable for multipurpose use of cold, reducing regasification process irreversibility. Some electric energy is produced by the power cycle, but the own mission of modular unit proposed is addressed to deliver cold suitable for industrial and commercial use in the proper temperature range. The option considers, also, the use of carbon dioxide as a secondary fluid for transfer of cold from regasification site to far end users. This option seems very attractive due to expected wide future exploitation of LNG regasification in the world.Results of a detailed thermodynamic and economic analysis demonstrate the suitability of the proposal.     

Design and economic analysis of high-pressure proton exchange membrane electrolysis for renewable energy storage

The proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis with a high-pressure cathode can help avoid the utilization of a hydrogen compressor and improve the efficiency of hydrogen transmission. The economic analysis of the entire process from hydrogen production to transportation was conducted in this study, and the advantages of high-pressure PEM electrolysis were proved. The economic analysis has also illustrated the influence of the cathode pressure and membrane thickness involved in PEM electrolysis on the energy consumption and capital expenditure of the electrolyzer from the perspectives of hydrogen permeability, ohmic impedance, and structural design. Although the output pressure of hydrogen is increased several tens of times, the proper structure and unchanged thickness of the membrane can help satisfy the strength and safety requirements of the electrolyzer simultaneously. In addition, the energy consumption and cost increase associated with the high-pressure electrolyzer can be limited to an acceptable range. The impact of the renewable energy scale on the decision and selection for PEM or ALK is also analyzed; PEM has an advantage over ALK in large-scale renewable energy hydrogen production scenarios because of its own wider upper and lower load limits compared to those of ALK.     

Predicting efficiency of solar powered hydrogen generation using photovoltaic-electrolysis devices

Hydrogen fuel for fuel cell vehicles can be produced by using solar electric energy from photovoltaic (PV) modules for the electrolysis of water without emitting carbon dioxide or requiring fossil fuels. In the past, this renewable means of hydrogen production has suffered from low efficiency (2–6%), which increased the area of the PV array required and therefore, the cost of generating hydrogen. A comprehensive mathematical model was developed that can predict the efficiency of a PV-electrolyzer combination based on operating parameters including voltage, current, temperature, and gas output pressure. This model has been used to design optimized PV-electrolyzer systems with maximum solar energy to hydrogen efficiency. In this research, the electrical efficiency of the PV-electrolysis system was increased by matching the maximum power output and voltage of the photovoltaics to the operating voltage of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer, and optimizing the effects of electrolyzer operating current, and temperature. The operating temperature of the PV modules was also an important factor studied in this research to increase efficiency. The optimized PV-electrolysis system increased the hydrogen generation efficiency to 12.4% for a solar powered PV-PEM electrolyzer that could supply enough hydrogen to operate a fuel cell vehicle.     

PEM water electrolyzer model for a power-hardware-in-loop simulator

Power-electronics-based power-hardware-in-loop (PHIL) simulator for water electrolyzer emulation with a nominal current of 405 A is developed to study the electrolyzer as part of a smart grid and to analyze the characteristics of various electrolyzer power supply electronics. A simplified model of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer is implemented into the PHIL simulator to describe the voltage and current characteristics of the electrolyzer stack. The model is verified comparing the current and the estimated hydrogen production of the PHIL simulator with the measured values of the commercial PEM electrolyzer following the measured solar photovoltaic (PV) system output power.     

Thermodynamic assessment of modified Organic Rankine Cycle integrated with parabolic trough collector for hydrogen production

Hydrogen is one of the most clean energy carrier and the best alternative for fossil fuels. In this study, thermodynamic analysis of modified Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) integrated with Parabolic Trough Collector (PTC) for hydrogen production is investigated. The integrated system investigated in this study consists of a parabolic trough collector, a modified ORC, a single effect absorption cooling system and a PEM electrolyzer. By using parabolic trough collector, solar energy is converted heat energy and then produced heat energy is used in modified ORC to produce electricity. Electricity is then used for hydrogen production. The outputs of this integrated system are electricity, cooling and hydrogen. By performing a parametric study, the effects of design parameters of PTC, modified ORC and PEM electrolyzer on hydrogen production is evaluated. According to the analysis results, solar radiation is one of the most important factor affecting system exergy efficiency and hydrogen production rate. As solar radiation increases from 400?W/m² to 1000?W/m², exergy efficiency of the system increases 58%–64% and hydrogen production rate increases from 0.1016?kg/h to 0.1028?kg/h.     

Performance evaluation of an integrated hydrogen production system with LNG cold energy utilization

This study aims to develop a novel integrated geothermal based system by the application of different thermodynamic cycles such as Kalina, liquefied natural gas (LNG), Stirling and proton exchange membrane electrolyzer (PEME) to produce cooling, hydrogen, and electricity. Energy and exergy analyses of the system are performed to evaluate the performance of the system. Additionally, the effects of five different input variables are investigated to determine their impacts on the corresponding values of net power and cooling, exergy efficiency, hydrogen production, and sustainability index. In a defined condition, the exergy efficiency of the suggested system is computed around 43%. The cycle net generated power is 10.69 MW, which is the generated power by the Stirling, LNG, and Kalina turbines each by 8.07 MW, 1.13 MW, and 1.49 MW, respectively. The produced cooling load by the cooling unit of the LNG stream is also 6.09 MW, while the rate of hydrogen production in the electrolyzer is 204.77 kg/h by consuming all the generated power. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis is performed to study the effects of each design parameters on the system performance.     

Technical assessment of LNG based polygeneration systems for non-interconnected island cases using SOFC

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is one of the most promising fuels with high calorific value and low specific GHG emissions that offers several advantages as an energy carrier for power generation. In this paper, a novel polygeneration concept based on LNG fired plant for power, cooling and drinking water production in island systems is presented. Two Solid Oxide Fuel Cell based energy systems (one simple SOFC and another hybrid concept of SOFC combined with GT) are modelled in Aspen Plus and compared with two conventional combustion based technologies (internal combustion engine and Gas Turbine Combined Cycle) in terms of overall efficiency. Furthermore, a Low Temperature Multi-Effect Distillation (LT-MED) plant was modelled and coupled with the energy systems to evaluate the waste heat recovery potential for desalinated water production. Moreover, three concepts for cold recovery from the LNG regasification plant were presented and modelled. Process simulations results revealed that the hybrid SOFC-GT plant is the best solution in terms of energy efficiency and the heat recovery of the exhaust gas in a LT-MED unit is a promising option for drinking water production with almost no energy cost. Last, from exergetic point of view, the cryogenic energy storage (CES) via the production of liquid air was evaluated as the best option for waste cold utilization during LNG regasification.     

Thermodynamic analysis of a transcritical CO2 power cycle driven by solar energy with liquified natural gas as its heat sink

This paper proposes a transcritical CO₂ power cycle driven by solar energy while utilizing the cold heat rejection to an liquified natural gas (LNG) evaporation system. In order to ensure a continuous and stable operation for the system, a thermal storage system is introduced to store the collected solar energy and to provide stable power output when solar radiation is insufficient. A mathematical model is developed to simulate the solar-driven transcritical CO₂ power cycle under steady-state conditions, and a modified system efficiency is defined to better evaluate the cycle performance over a period of time. The thermodynamic analysis focuses on the effects of some key parameters, including the turbine inlet pressure, the turbine inlet temperature and the condensation temperature, on the system performance. Results indicate that the net power output mainly depends on the solar radiation over a day, yet the system is still capable of generating electricity long after sunset by virtue of the thermal storage tank. An optimum turbine inlet pressure exists under given conditions where the net power output and the system efficiency both reach maximum values. The net power output and the system efficiency are less sensitive to the change in the turbine inlet temperature, but the condensation temperature exerts a significant influence on the system performance. The surface area of heat exchangers increases with the rise in the turbine inlet temperature, while changes in the turbine inlet pressure have no significant impact on the heat exchanging area under the given conditions.     

Analysis of optimization in an OTEC plant using organic Rankine cycle

This study quantified the effects of evaporation temperature, condensation temperature, and the inlet- and outlet-temperature differences of deep cold seawater and warm seawater on the performance of an ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) plant using an organic Rankine cycle (ORC), and also investigated the optimal operations required for the performance. A finite-temperature-difference heat transfer method is developed to evaluate the objective parameter, which is the ratio of net power output to the total heat transfer area of heat exchanger in the system, and R717, R600a, R245fa, R152a, and R134a were used as the working fluids. The optimal evaporation and condensation temperatures were obtained under various conditions for maximal objective parameters in an OTEC system.The results show that R717 performed optimally in objective parameter evaluation among the five working fluids, and that R600a performed better than other fluids in thermal efficiency analysis. The optimal seawater temperature differences between the inlet and outlet of the evaporator and condenser are proposed. Furthermore, the influences of inlet temperatures of warm and cold seawater in the ORC are presented for an OTEC plant. The simulation results should enable the performance of an ORC system to be compared when using various organic working fluids.