Design optimisation for solar to green hydrogen plants

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Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK

£397,915

March 1, 2023

Aug. 31, 2023

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.