Design optimisation for solar to green hydrogen plants

氢波(HyWaves)正在开发一种创新技术，使太阳能光伏发电厂能够以更低的成本和最佳的性能生产绿色氢气：新型电源管理和控制架构H2 Top通过直流直接将电解槽与太阳能光伏阵列或其他直流绿色能源连接，从而避免了传统解决方案的多个转换阶段(DC-AC-DC)。我们取消了太阳能光伏逆变器和电解槽电源单元，取而代之的是一种简单可靠的功率开关电子设备。我们提高了能源效率，降低了绿色制氢的成本，与目前的解决方案相比，节省了17%以上的水平氢气成本(LCOH)。H2 Top架构可以集成二次生命锂电池，进一步降低北方国家太阳能光伏生产绿色氢气的成本。通过在整个系统中端到端使用直流电，促进了电池集成。我们将设计一个直流耦合混合动力系统的原型，在同一个工厂中支持光伏、电池储存、氢气和发电。这个项目的设计优化将显著减少安装绿色氢气工厂的资金和时间投资，并将促进广泛使用氢气作为中期储能。HyWaves与克兰菲尔德大学合作，以1kW的示范工厂成功展示了H2 Top的潜力，现已升级到自动化运营和20 kW的工业规模。以人为中心和以地球为中心的设计方法将被应用于设计纯氢气工厂和混合动力工厂，这些工厂提供电力、储能、氢气生产等多种服务。这些混合动力车之所以有吸引力，是因为它们将为工业、住宅和商业活动提供可靠的能源，平衡昂贵的短期锂存储和更便宜的基于氢的长期能源存储。共享使用电池，为电侧和氢侧带来了优势，降低了成本，并允许商业现成部件的集成。该项目的最终目标是考虑到最终用户的需求，对该技术进行合理的设计。这意味着简化了H2 Top电力电子设备与不同品牌的模块化电解槽之间的接口设计。对于混合工厂来说，这意味着设计一个能够轻松扩展和适应不同最终用户能源消耗状况的系统。在这两种情况下，设计的重点都是用户对技术的接受和采用，以最大限度地提高对环境和社会的积极影响，并利用H.Top架构可能带来的相关经济节约。

Hydrogen Waves (HyWaves) is developing an innovative technology enabling solar PV plants to produce green-hydrogen, with reduced cost and best performance: H2Top, a novel power management and control architecture, will avoid the multiple conversion stages (DC-AC-DC) of traditional solutions, by directly connecting, in Direct Current, the electrolyser with a solar PV array or other DC green energy source. We eliminate the solar PV inverter and the electrolyser power supply unit, replacing them with a simple and reliable power switching electronics. We improve the energy efficiency, and reduce the cost of green hydrogen production, with a saving exceeding 17% of the Levelized Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH) when compared with current solutions.The H2Top architecture can integrate second-life lithium batteries, to further reducing green-hydrogen production cost from solar PV in northern countries. Battery integration is facilitated by the end-to-end use of direct current throughout the system. We will design a prototype of DC-coupled hybrid systems where PV, battery storage, hydrogen and electric generation are supported in the same plant.This project design optimisation will significantly reduce the capital and time investment in installing green hydrogen production plants; will also promote a widespread use of hydrogen for medium term energy storage. HyWaves, in partnership with Cranfield University, has successfully demonstrated the H2Top potential with 1kW demonstration plant, now being upscaled to automated operation and 20 kW industrial-scale.The human-centred & planet-centred design approaches will be applied to designing both hydrogen-only and hybrid plants that offer multiple services like electricity, energy storage, hydrogen production. These hybrids are appealing because will offer a reliable source of energy to industries, residential and commercial activities, balancing the costly short-term lithium storage with a cheaper long-term energy storage based on hydrogen. A shared use of the battery, brings advantages to both the electric and hydrogen side, lowering their cost and allowing the integration of commercial off-the-shelf parts.The end goal of the project is a sound design of the technology, with end-users needs in mind. This means a simplified design of the interface between H2Top power electronics and modular electrolysers of different brand. For hybrid plants, means designing a system that can easily scale and adapt to different profiles of end-user energy consumption. In both cases, the design focus is on user acceptance and adoption of the technology, to maximise the positive impacts on the environment and society, and exploit the relevant economic savings possible with H2Top architecture.