Development of high-performance fuel cell generation system for micro-grid applications

由功率转换器及其相关控制系统组成的电力处理单元被广泛用于从风能、太阳能和燃料电池等替代能源向负载或公用电网转换、控制和输送电力。电力处理机组的设计者面临着确保高可靠性、低损耗和高效率、高电能质量、低成本、小尺寸和快速动态运行的挑战。我们研究计划的目标是开发电力处理单元，以应对这些技术挑战，并提供使用燃料电池、风能和水能作为能源的替代能源转换系统的更高性能。具体地说，拟议的研究旨在开发替代功率转换器拓扑和配置，以及燃料电池发电系统的替代控制策略，这些系统将用于小型水能-风力-燃料电池混合发电系统。在短期内，建议研究、开发和实施在电力处理单元中产生高效率、最大功率提取、快速动态响应和高可靠性的方法，并开发实验室平台来研究其性能并论证其可行性。建议的研究是及时的：在技术上，它提供了开发创新技术的机会，将导致高性能燃料电池发电系统，并为智能、清洁和高效绿色能源系统的开发和部署做出重大贡献；在战略上，它与政府的科技(S&T)战略保持一致，该战略侧重于在自然资源和能源等四个战略领域创造创业优势、知识优势和人员优势。这项建议支持高素质人才的培养和下一代能源创新者和领导者的发展。在环境方面，拟议的工作可以成为能源效率的重要驱动力，并最终帮助加拿大实现其温室气体排放目标；在经济上，燃料电池发电系统效率和可靠性的提高将导致制造商和最终用户成本的降低。

Power processing units consisting of power converters and their associated control systems are widely used to transform, control, and deliver electricity from alternative energy resources such as wind, solar, and fuel cell to a load or the utility grid. Designers of power processing units face the challenge of ensuring high reliability, low losses and high efficiency, high power quality, low cost, reduced size, and fast dynamic operation. The goal of our research program is to develop power processing units that address these technical challenges and offer improved performance of alternative energy conversion systems which employ fuel cells, wind, and hydro as sources of energy. Specifically, the proposed research is aimed at developing alternative power converter topologies and configurations, as well as alternative control strategies for fuel cell generation systems that will be employed in hybrid small hydro-wind-fuel cell generation systems. In the short term, it is proposed to investigate, develop and implement approaches that result in high efficiency, maximum power extraction, fast dynamic response, and high reliability in the power processing units, as well as develop laboratory platforms to investigate the performance and demonstrate the feasibility of the same. The proposed research is timely: technically, it provides the opportunity to develop innovative techniques that will result in high-performance fuel cell generation systems and make significant contributions to the development and deployment of smart, clean and efficient green energy systems; strategically, it aligns with the government's Science & Technology (S&T) strategy which focuses on creating an entrepreneurial advantage, knowledge advantage, and people advantage in four strategic areas which include natural resources and energy. This proposal supports the training of highly qualified personnel and the development of the next generation of energy innovators and leaders. Environmentally, the proposed work can be a significant driver of energy efficiency and ultimately help Canada to meet its greenhouse emission targets; and economically, the increased efficiency and reliability of the fuel cell generation system would lead to reduction in costs to manufacturers and end users.