Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolyzer Emulator for Power Electronics Testing Applications

Abstract

This article aims to develop a proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer emulator. This emulator is realized through an equivalent electrical scheme. It allows taking into consideration the dynamic operation of PEM electrolyzers, which is generally neglected in the literature. PEM electrolyzer dynamics are reproduced by the use of supercapacitors, due to the high value of the equivalent double-layer capacitance value. Steady-state and dynamics operations are investigated in this work. The design criteria are addressed. The PEM electrolyzer emulator is validated by using a 400-W commercial PEM electrolyzer. This emulator is conceived to test new DC-DC converters to supply the PEM ELs and their control as well, avoiding the risk to damage a real electrolyzer for experiment purposes. The proposed approach is valid both for a single cell and for the whole stack emulation.

Optimal Fractional‐Order Proportion Integration Differentiation Control of Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolyzer for Offshore Wind Power Hydrogen Production System

“…In ref. [12], Yodwong et al conceived a control strategy using a new DC–DC converter to avoid causing damages to the electrolyzer. Kensaku et al [ 13 ] designed and developed a compact electrolyzer with precise pressure control in the electrode region to optimize system performance.…”

Reconfigurable Quadratic Converters for Electrolyzers Utilized in DC Microgrids

“…steady state. With that said, assuming a fixed temperature, an electrolyser stack is normally modelled as a small resistive load in steady state [5], [6]. As such, the power converter's terminal will be connected to a low-voltage and high-current resistive load.…”

Hydrogen as a Clean and Sustainable Energy Vector for Global Transition from Fossil-Based to Zero-Carbon

“…It should be underlined that the efficient generation of hydrogen by water electrolysis depends on the whole conversion chain involving a multi-disciplinary approach. It encompasses the sources [22], including their dynamic behavior [23][24][25], the power electronics-based converter to interface the electrolyzer with the supply [26][27][28][29], and suitable modeling of the load, meaning the electrolyzer [30,31], additional issues concern the compliance with requirements related to the electromagnetic compatibility that need appropriate filter design [32,33]. These aspects have been discussed in detail by the authors beforehand.…”

“…Papers [23][24][25] show that, when using renewable sources, the dynamic behavior of the sources must be considered in the model of both the source and the converter to improve conversion in the presence of abrupt changes in wind speed or solar radiation. An example of this approach is shown in [26,27] for the converter and in [30,31] for the electrolyzer. Issues discussed in [32,33] concerning the electromagnetic interference (EMI), show that the conversion chain, due to the presence of switching converters, generates high-frequency noise which tends to propagate throughout the conductors and radiate into the surrounding environment; the presence of appropriate filters avoids these problems of electromagnetic compatibility.…”