Modeling of Hydrogen Production in an Alkaline Electrolyser System Connected with a Solar Photovoltaic Panel or a Wind Turbine: Case Study; Douala-Cameroon

Abstract

This article is in the field of research into the storage of renewable energy production. One of the main obstacles to the rapid development of renewable energies is the storage of the energy produced at low cost and with good efficiency. The production of hydrogen from renewable energies is a promising solution. The present work evaluates the potential of hydrogen production by electrolysis from solar photovoltaic and wind renewable energies in the city of Douala in Cameroon. The methodological approach used is based on the semi-empirical modelling approach of an alkaline electrolyser associated with the solar panel or the wind turbine. The simulation results obtained on the MATLAB/Simulink platform show that the average hydrogen production potential is estimated at 0.55 Nm 3 /h for a PV panel supply, which corresponds to average energy efficiency of 70%, and at 0.675 Nm 3 /h for a wind turbine supply, which corresponds to average energy efficiency of 84%. These results show the need to promote this technology, whose efficiency can be improved depending on the choice of site.