Performance Assessment of a Hybrid System with Hydrogen Storage and Fuel Cell for Cogeneration in Buildings

Abstract

The search for new fuels to supersede fossil fuels has been intensified these recent decades. Among these fuels, hydrogen has attracted much interest due to its advantages, mainly cleanliness and availability. It can be produced from various raw materials (e.g., water, biomass) using many resources, mainly water electrolysis and natural gas reforming. However, water electrolysis combined with renewable energy sources is the cleanest way to produce hydrogen while reducing greenhouse gases. Besides, hydrogen can be used by fuel cells for producing both electrical and thermal energy. The aim of this work was towards efficient integration of this system into energy efficient buildings. The system is comprised of a photovoltaic system, hydrogen electrolyzer, and proton exchange membrane fuel cell operating as a cogeneration system to provide the building with both electricity and thermal energy. The system’s modeling, simulations, and experimentations were first conducted over a short-run period to assess the system’s performance. Reported results show the models’ accuracy in analyzing the system’s performance. We then used the developed models for long-run testing of the hybrid system. Accordingly, the system’s electrical efficiency was almost 32%. Its overall efficiency reached 64.5% when taking into account both produced electricity and thermal energy.