MODELING THE FEASIBILITY OF USING FUEL CELLS ANDHYDROGEN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES INREMOTE RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS

摘要

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