A novel CCHP system based on a closed PEMEC-PEMFC loop with water self-supply

Abstract

Targeting the shortcomings of oxygen waste and reactant supplement of electrolyzer, this paper proposes a novel combined cooling, heating and power (CCHP) system based on proton exchange membrane electrolysis cell (PEMEC) and H2/O2 proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) with water self-supply. In this system, H2/O2 PEMFC adopts a dead-ended anode and cathode operation mode to achieve 100 % hydrogen and oxygen utilization and water recovery. For the application scenario of a household in Shanghai, China, the performance of the CCHP system in summer and winter is investigated. When the system gives priority to meeting the electric and cooling load, there will be insufficient heat at the initial stage of operation. The pre-operation model can realize the hourly matching of residential electric, heating and cooling loads. After one day of operation in summer and winter, there are 19.1 kWh and 45.5 kWh electricity surplus, 7.27 × 106 kJ and 1.97 × 106 kJ heat surplus, 1200 mol and 300 mol hydrogen surplus, respectively. Moreover, the estimated payback period for this system is 7.6 years, which will be significantly shortened with the decrease of the cost of photovoltaic panels and PEMEC.