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

由功率转换器及其相关联的控制系统组成的功率处理单元被广泛用于将电力从诸如风能、太阳能和燃料电池的替代能源转换、控制和输送到负载或公用电网。电力处理单元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、减小尺寸和快速动态操作的挑战。我们的研究计划的目标是开发电力处理单元，以解决这些技术挑战，并提供采用燃料电池，风能和水力作为能源的替代能源转换系统的改进性能。具体而言，拟议的研究旨在开发替代电源转换器的拓扑结构和配置，以及替代控制策略的燃料电池发电系统，将采用混合动力小型水电风力燃料电池发电系统。在短期内，建议调查，开发和实施导致高效率，最大功率提取，快速动态响应和高可靠性的功率处理单元的方法，以及开发实验室平台来调查性能并证明其可行性。拟议的研究是及时的：从技术上讲，它提供了开发创新技术的机会，这些技术将产生高性能的燃料电池发电系统，并为开发和部署智能、清洁和高效的绿色能源系统作出重大贡献;从战略上讲，它与政府的科技战略相一致，该战略侧重于创造创业优势，知识优势，以及包括自然资源和能源在内的四个战略领域的人力资源优势。该提案支持高素质人才的培训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，燃料电池发电系统的效率和可靠性的提高将导致制造商和最终用户的成本降低。

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.