Load Regulation Strategies of Solid Oxide Electrolysis System Coupled with External Heat Sources

Abstract

Solid oxide electrolysis system requires electrical and thermal energy. Five scenarios are defined according to various cases of external heat sources coupling and electrical energy sources. Three methods are proposed to track variations in electrical or thermal load, including constant flow rate (F method), constant steam utilization (Us method) and constant cell operating voltage (V method). Through system process simulation, the applicability of three methods in different scenarios is explored to obtain load regulation strategies. In the scenario coupled with low-temperature heat and intermittent power and the scenario with no heat coupling, the F method is preferred at high loads and the V method is preferred at low loads, while it is the opposite in the scenario coupled with high-temperature heat and intermittent power. The V method is preferred at low loads in the scenario coupled with low-temperature heat and high loads in the scenario coupled with high-temperature heat.