Hydrogen production using variable- and fixed-speed wind farm topologies in a utility grid

Abstract

This chapter presents hydrogen production in a utility grid composed of variable-speed and fixed-speed wind farms. The variable-speed wind farm is made of doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) wind turbines, while the fixed-speed wind farm is composed of only induction generator wind turbines. To achieve smoothing of the wind farm terminals, FACTS devices of an energy capacitor system (ECS) with a DC chopper type and STATCOM were used to stabilize the fixed-speed wind farms. The power converters of the DFIGs were used to provide reactive power during dynamic periods to achieve stability of the variable-speed wind farm. Since the amount of wind energy required to produce hydrogen is insignificant, and by taking advantage of the smoothed terminal of the wind farms, a hydrogen generator composed of a rectifier and electrolyzer was connected to the wind farms to produce hydrogen. The produced hydrogen gas thereby acts as a means of transportation to power fuel cell cars. On the basis of same grid energy in the utility network, the average time required to fill the hydrogen tanks using high pass filter time constant is shorter. The cooperative control strategies of the system were developed in the visual simulation PSCAD/EMTDC environment.