Work

Performance Analysis of Integrated Energy System Driven by Solar Energy for Hydrogen Production and Cogeneration Application

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The accelerating deterioration of the global environment underscores the urgent need to transition from the conventional fossil fuels to renewable energy, particularly the abundant solar energy. However, large-scale solar power integration could cause the severe grid fluctuations and compromise the operational stability. Existing studies have attempted to address this issue using hydrogen-based energy storage for peak shaving, but most suffer from low system efficiency. To overcome these limitations, this study proposes a novel solar-driven integrated energy system (IES) for hydrogen production and combined heat and power (CHP) generation, in which advanced hydrogen storage technologies are employed to achieve the efficient system operation. The system couples four subsystems: parabolic trough solar collector (PTSC), transcritical CO2 power cycle (TCPC), Kalina cycle (KC) and proton exchange membrane electrolytic cell (PEMEC). Thermodynamic analysis of the proposed IES was conducted, and the effects of key parameters on system performance were investigated in depth. Simulation results show that under design conditions, the PEMEC produces 0.514 kg/h of hydrogen with an energy efficiency of 54.09% and an exergy efficiency of 51.59%, respectively. When the TCPC evaporator outlet temperature is 430.35 K, the IES achieves maximum energy and exergy efficiencies of 46.52% and 18.62%, respectively, with a hydrogen production rate of 0.51 kg/h. The findings highlight the importance of coordinated parameter optimization to maximize system efficiency and hydrogen productivity, providing theoretical guidance for practical design and operation of solar-based hydrogen integrated energy system.

Source: Processes

DOI: 10.3390/pr13113693

Authors: Qing Zhu, Huijie Lin, Hongjuan Zheng, Zeting Yu

Institutions: NARI Group (China), Shandong University

Language: English

Topic: Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems

Subfield: Energy Engineering and Power Technology

Field: Energy

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Affordable and clean energy, Climate action, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,896