Numerical Simulation and Design of Stand-alone Solar Hydrogen System
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Date
2001-12-14
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Abstract
A photovoltaic system consists of an array, a storage medium and elements for power conditioning. Many photovoltaic systems operate in a stand-alone mode and the total energy demand is met by the output of the photovoltaic array. The output of the photovoltaic system fluctuates and is unpredictable for many applications making some forms of energy storage or backup system necessary. The role of storage medium is to store the excess energy produced by the photovoltaic array, to absorb momentary power peaks and to supply energy during sunless periods or during night. One of the storage modes is the use of electrochemical techniques, with batteries and water electrolysis as the most important examples. An attempt has been made to study the concept of storing solar energy in the form of hydrogen using stand-alone solar hydrogen system. Hydrogen in this study was produced from the standpoints of: optimum electrolysis cell concentration; concentration dependent of current; hydrogen production efficiency depending on the cell concentration. The system characteristics: quantity of hydrogen produced based on cell concentration, current/voltage output with concentration, production efficiency, and simulated current/voltage output were measured and analysed. A 50W photovoltaic panel rated as 17.4V, 2.87A yielded a maximum volume of about 8.6rnl per minute for 1 .OM cell concentration. Numerical simulation was used to compare the experimental results and also the possibility of increasing the cost-effective yield of hydrogen.
Description
A thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies,
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, in partial
fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Master of Science degree in Physics, 2001