Study on the synergistic regulation strategy of load range and electrolysis efficiency of 250 kW alkaline electrolysis system under high-dynamic operation conditions

Abstract

Alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) has the highest technological maturity among all the water electrolysis technologies for hydrogen production, however, reducing the minimum load boundary and improving the electrolysis efficiency are the technical challenges of the AWE system that still exist and urgently require optimization. The minimum load is primarily limited by the hydrogen to oxygen (HTO) from cross-diaphragm transfer and lye mixing, with HTO above 2.0% being a significant safety risk. Reducing the lye flow rate and pressure are effective while two of the few ways by regulating the operating parameters to improve the HTO thus extend the minimum load boundary, but will worsen electrolysis efficiency. Therefore, this study proposes a synergistic regulation strategy of pressure and lye flow rate: maximizing pressure and lye flow rate during high load period to ensure high electrolysis efficiency; adjusting lye flow rate and pressure during medium load period to ensure HTO≤2.0% and maximize the electrolysis efficiency; and reducing lye flow rate and pressure to a low level during the low load period to broaden the minimum load so as to improve overall efficiency of AWE system when loading with fluctuant green electric. This work elaborates the HTO routes, influencing factors and parameter optimization mechanism by building a system-level steady-state and dynamic gas purity model. The optimal combination curve of pressure and lye flow rate is obtained and its control effect on performance parameters, in terms of minimum load, system energy consumption, energy utilization, electrolysis efficiency and so on, is compared and verified in high dynamic wind and photovoltaic (PV) power scenarios. Finally, the optimal wind & PV power ratios are explored based on the optimal operation curve, which will provide a reference for the future large-scale development of hydrogen production scenarios direct-coupled with wind and PV power. The minimum load is extended from 42.0% in the lye flow rate alone control to 21.2% in the pressure alone control and finally to 15.6% in the lye flow rate and pressure synergistic control method. In the absence of electrical replenishment, wind and PV energy utilization efficiency can reach up to 98.3% and 95.6%, respectively.