Pre-Feasibility Design and Simulation of Hybrid PV/Fuel Cell Energy System for Application to Desalination Plants Loads

Abstract

A potential solution for stand-alone power generation is to use a hybrid energy system in parallel with some hydrogen energy storage. Renewable energy sources (solar, wind, etc) are attracting more attention as alternative energy sources to conventional fossil fuel energy sources. This is being used widely for substitution of oil-produced energy and will help to minimize atmospheric degradation. One third of the world population does not have access to clean water sources and most of these people are not connected to the electrical grid at the same time.In this paper, a hybrid Photovoltaic (PV)-fuel cell generation system employing an electrolyzer for hydrogen generation is designed and simulated. The system is applicable for a desalination plant loads. Reverse osmosis (RO) is an electrically driven technology characterized by significantly low specific power requirements. In the meantime, coastal arid areas are blessed with exceptionally high solar radiation most of the year. Normally, those areas have no access to municipal water network and the local power grid. Thus, the water problem can also be seen as an energy problem since seawater, brackish water or freshwater of unknown quality are abundantly available but significant amounts of energy are required in order to make it suitable for drinking. Photovoltaic (PV) powered water purification is an opportunity to solve this issue. It can provide potable water and on top, small independent minigrids that supply people with electricity, too.The proposed configuration, even if it is not entirely autonomous still requires a smaller area of solar panel to operate. By cons, there remains the problem of the source of hydrogen. If hydrogen is not produced by electrolysis but by reforming hydrocarbons, this means CO2 emissions, with resources that are not inexhaustible. Moreover, 95% of the hydrogen currently produced using this method. For a massive use of hydrogen consumption, it will consider new production methods, such as the construction of nuclear power plants dedicated to hydrogen production with such high-temperature electrolysis.