MODELING THE FEASIBILITY OF USING FUEL CELLS AND HYDROGEN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES IN REMOTE RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS

摘要

Recent advances in hydrogen fuel cell and internal combustion engine technologies have enabled new energy options for supplying electrical power in remote, off-grid areas. The objective of this investigation is to determine under which conditions wind turbines and PV systems can feasibly power electrolyzers to generate and store hydrogen for remote power generation using fuel cells and internal combustion engines. In this study, the optimization software HOMER is used to analyze a small 356-W radio repeater station and a 148-kW village power system. This study concludes that fuel cell systems appear competitive today at the radio repeater station and appear competitive in the village system if fuel cell prices are reduced to 40% of their current capital cost.