Flexibility assessment and aggregation of alkaline electrolyzers considering dynamic process constraints for energy management of renewable power-to-hydrogen systems

Abstract

In the energy management of renewable power-to-hydrogen (ReP2H) systems, quantifying the flexibility of alkaline electrolyzers (AELs) to respond to fast load-tracking commands and maintain energy balance across various timescales is crucial. However, the flexibility of AELs is subject to electrochemical, and dynamic heat and mass transfer constraints, making them very different, both physically and mathematically, from conventional power system flexibility resources such as energy storage (ES) and electrical vehicles (EVs). Additionally, in large hydrogen plants (HPs), aggregating the flexibility of multiple AELs is necessary. Despite extensive flexibility-related research on power and integrated energy systems, work on the electrolyzers is limited. To address these gaps, this paper presents a flexibility assessment method for AELs. Considering comprehensive nonlinear dynamic process constraints, we establish a flexibility metric based on the maximal/minimal energy an AEL can provide within varying time windows. This metric is additive, facilitating the aggregation of multiple AELs within seconds. By comparing it with the energy demanded by regulatory commands, the feasibility of load-tracking control can be assessed without time-domain simulation. In cases of infeasibility, the cause and required compensation can also be interpreted. Case studies validate the proposed method, and key factors impacting the flexibility of AELs are quantitatively analyzed.