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Project Title:

Hydrogen production by a windmill powered electrolyser

Ref.No.: 60

Project Type and Category:

Hydrogen production

Project Duration:

1996 – (no end spezified)

Project Participants:

FH Stralsund, FB Elektrotechnik und Informatik
ELWATEC, Grimma

Sponsor:

100 %, from BMBF, State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, EC

Project Budget and
Funding:

approx. 700 000 DM

Project Description and Objectives:

The main goal of the Stralsund College is to teach scientific and system aspects of the use of renewable energy and hydrogen technologies (production, storage, application). The theoretical and experimental classes are given in the course of semester terms to regular students as well as in the form of special seminars to interested individuals, business people and others.
The college operates a system composed of a 100 kWe wind energy converter, coupled to a 3 MPa pressurized alkaline electrolyzer of 20 kWe power consumption at 80°C temperature level (manufactured by ELWATEC) which feeds a cylindrical pressure storage of 9 m3 which accomodates 240 Nm3 of pressurized hydrogen at 3 MPa.
The hydrogen consumers under consideration are a 20 kWth catalytic heating device and an internal combustion engine cogenerator of 30 kWe and 75 kWth, the latter to be operated with a step by step increased mixture of hydrogen in natural gas. As soon as the funds have been brought up the operation of a PEM fuel cell system shall be investigated. The use of hydrogen in vehicle applications is carried out in a Ford Escort with the gasoline engine adapted for hydrogen operation but not yet optimized at all. Hydrogen is stored onboard in two pressurized containers of 60 l geometric volume each and at 30 MPa pressure level.

Technical Goals:

Investigation of the static as well as the dynamic behaviour of a 20 kW alkaline pressure electrolyser, which proved to be suitable for a coupled operating regime with wind power plant.
The central part of the complex laboratory consists of the 100 kW wind mill supplying a 20 kW ELWATEC alkaline electrolyser connected with a pressure storage.The electrolyser was connected to the wind power station indirectly and was operated in an intermittent operating regime. The power input of the electrolyser was controlled by the power output of the wind power plant via the central switching cabinet. The energy converting and storage unit as well as the structural arrangements of the electrolyser, especially the new cell design and operating the electrolyser in different operating regimes are investigated.

Project Status

In Progress

Preliminary or Final Results:

The actual current follows the referenc current with a time delay. An energy excess is fed into the electricity grid. An energy demand of the system is satisfied by the network. The results indicate that it will be only a small step towards the development of a direct wind power fed system (stand-alone wind hydrogen system).

Related Reference Papers and Other Publications:

F. Menzl, M. Wenske and J. Lehmann: Hydrogen production by windmill powered electrolyser, XII WHEC Buenos Aires 1998 Proc. 757 - 765:

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Project Title: Hydrogen production by a windmill powered electrolyser		Ref.No.: 60
Project Type and Category:	Hydrogen production
Project Duration:	1996 – (no end spezified)
Project Participants:	FH Stralsund, FB Elektrotechnik und Informatik ELWATEC, Grimma
Sponsor:	100 %, from BMBF, State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, EC
Project Budget and Funding:	approx. 700 000 DM
Project Description and Objectives:	The main goal of the Stralsund College is to teach scientific and system aspects of the use of renewable energy and hydrogen technologies (production, storage, application). The theoretical and experimental classes are given in the course of semester terms to regular students as well as in the form of special seminars to interested individuals, business people and others. The college operates a system composed of a 100 kWe wind energy converter, coupled to a 3 MPa pressurized alkaline electrolyzer of 20 kWe power consumption at 80°C temperature level (manufactured by ELWATEC) which feeds a cylindrical pressure storage of 9 m3 which accomodates 240 Nm3 of pressurized hydrogen at 3 MPa. The hydrogen consumers under consideration are a 20 kWth catalytic heating device and an internal combustion engine cogenerator of 30 kWe and 75 kWth, the latter to be operated with a step by step increased mixture of hydrogen in natural gas. As soon as the funds have been brought up the operation of a PEM fuel cell system shall be investigated. The use of hydrogen in vehicle applications is carried out in a Ford Escort with the gasoline engine adapted for hydrogen operation but not yet optimized at all. Hydrogen is stored onboard in two pressurized containers of 60 l geometric volume each and at 30 MPa pressure level.
Technical Goals:	Investigation of the static as well as the dynamic behaviour of a 20 kW alkaline pressure electrolyser, which proved to be suitable for a coupled operating regime with wind power plant. The central part of the complex laboratory consists of the 100 kW wind mill supplying a 20 kW ELWATEC alkaline electrolyser connected with a pressure storage.The electrolyser was connected to the wind power station indirectly and was operated in an intermittent operating regime. The power input of the electrolyser was controlled by the power output of the wind power plant via the central switching cabinet. The energy converting and storage unit as well as the structural arrangements of the electrolyser, especially the new cell design and operating the electrolyser in different operating regimes are investigated.
Project Status	In Progress
Preliminary or Final Results:	The actual current follows the referenc current with a time delay. An energy excess is fed into the electricity grid. An energy demand of the system is satisfied by the network. The results indicate that it will be only a small step towards the development of a direct wind power fed system (stand-alone wind hydrogen system).
Related Reference Papers and Other Publications:	F. Menzl, M. Wenske and J. Lehmann: Hydrogen production by windmill powered electrolyser, XII WHEC Buenos Aires 1998 Proc. 757 - 765: