Hydrogen Energy Systems: Optimization Models, Control and Simulation

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2021) | Viewed by 14869

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Engineering, University of Perugia, Via Duranti 93, 06125 Perugia, Italy
Interests: hydrogen energy; energy systems; energy storage; hybrid energy storage; stationary power production; fuel cells; SOFCs; renewable fuels; sector coupling; techno-economical optimization; control and diagnosis; artificial intelligence

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Guest Editor
Department of Engineering, University of Perugia, Via Duranti 93, 06125 Perugia, Italy
Interests: renewable energy; energy systems; hydrogen; fuel cells
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Guest Editor
Hawaii Center for Advanced Transportation Technologies, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
Interests: renewables; energy analysis; energy infrastructure; hydrogen energy; hydrogen use for rail and maritime applications; fuel cells; energy policies and standards; decarbonization programs

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Access to energy and quality of supply are essential for the resilient development of modern societies. New technologies are changing the way we approach energy consumption and tackle climate change issues. Besides, new technology and system architectures allow more efficient utilization of renewable and volatile primary energy sources. Thanks to the combination of multiple energy vectors (heat, electricity, and hydrogen), new frontiers in energy systems design have been opened and require investigation by experts. In particular, hydrogen is not only promising for the decarbonization of many processes, but it is assumed as a game-changing player for the integration of multiple systems featured by significant energy flows. For its flexibility of production and use, hydrogen is considered pivotal in repowering, rearranging, and fully revisioning power generation systems, green transportation, and industrial processes.

This Special Issue on “Hydrogen Energy Systems: Optimization Models, Control and Simulation of Advanced Solutions” envisions to collect scientific and technical original research and review papers. Topics include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Optimization models
  • Control and diagnosis
  • Numerical simulations
  • New system designs and architectures
  • Experimental validation of numerical models.

For the broad range of hydrogen-based applications, as well as the overriding topic of sector-coupling, papers concerning complex hydrogen energy systems and cutting-edge implementations of hydrogen technologies are of great interest, high transferability potential, and crucial novelty.

Dr. Arianna Baldinelli
Dr. Giovanni Cinti
Dr. Shuk Han Chan
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • intersectoral integration
  • hydrogen storage
  • hydrogen transport
  • sector coupling
  • control and diagnosis
  • energy system simulation
  • optimization
  • multi-energy system
  • renewables
  • smart-grids

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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24 pages, 2366 KiB  
Article
Improvements of Micro-CHP SOFC System Operation by Efficient Dynamic Simulation Methods
by Laura Nousch, Mathias Hartmann and Alexander Michaelis
Processes 2021, 9(7), 1113; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9071113 - 26 Jun 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3330
Abstract
Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) technology is of high interest for stationary decentralized generation of electricity and heat in combined heat and power systems (CHP) for the residential sector. Application scenarios for SOFC systems in an electricity-regulated mode play an important role, especially [...] Read more.
Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) technology is of high interest for stationary decentralized generation of electricity and heat in combined heat and power systems (CHP) for the residential sector. Application scenarios for SOFC systems in an electricity-regulated mode play an important role, especially in places where an electrical grid connection is not available or rather unstable. The advantages of SOFC systems are the high fuel flexibility and the high efficiencies also under partial load operation compared to other decentralized power generation technologies. Due to the long, energy-consuming system heat-up and the limited partial load capability, SOFC systems do not reach the performance of conventional power generation technologies. Furthermore, stack thermal cycling is associated with power degradation and should be minimized. In this paper, the improvement of these drawbacks are investigated for hotbox-based SOFC systems in the 1 kWel-class for residential applications. Since experimental investigations of the high-temperature systems are limited, modeling tools are established, enabling the visualization of internal system characteristics and providing the opportunity to simulate system operation in critical regions. To achieve this, a methodology for dynamic SOFC system modeling in a process engineering manner is developed based on the modeling language Modelica. A suitable approach is particularly important for modeling and simulation of the strong thermal interaction between the hot system components within the hotbox. The parametrized and validated models are used for the investigation of different dynamic effects, such as the system heat-up and the operation in low partial load points. A second reduced thermal system model aims for annual simulations of the SOFC system together with a battery to investigate the number of thermal cycles and the advantage of a hot standby operation. As a result, it is found that an adequate control of the power input at the start-up device and the cathode air flow has a high improvement potential to increase the stack heating rate and accelerate the heat-up in an energy-saving way. The hotbox-internal thermal management is identified as a crucial issue to reach low partial load points. To avoid the risk of stack cooling, lower heat losses and/or additional heat sources are of importance. Furthermore, the robustness of the tail gas oxidizer is found to be crucial for a higher load flexibility during partial load and the end of life stack operation. The annual simulation results indicate that operating the battery hybrid system with a hot standby mode requires much lower battery capacity for a high grid independence and a complete avoidance of system shutdown and associated power degradation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogen Energy Systems: Optimization Models, Control and Simulation)
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19 pages, 4587 KiB  
Article
Early-Stage Detection of Solid Oxide Cells Anode Degradation by Operando Impedance Analysis
by Antunes Staffolani, Arianna Baldinelli, Linda Barelli, Gianni Bidini and Francesco Nobili
Processes 2021, 9(5), 848; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9050848 - 12 May 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2918
Abstract
Solid oxide cells represent one of the most efficient and promising electrochemical technologies for hydrogen energy conversion. Understanding and monitoring degradation is essential for their full development and wide diffusion. Techniques based on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and distribution of relaxation times of physicochemical [...] Read more.
Solid oxide cells represent one of the most efficient and promising electrochemical technologies for hydrogen energy conversion. Understanding and monitoring degradation is essential for their full development and wide diffusion. Techniques based on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and distribution of relaxation times of physicochemical processes occurring in solid oxide cells have attracted interest for the operando diagnosis of degradation. This research paper aims to validate the methodology developed by the authors in a previous paper, showing how such a diagnostic tool may be practically implemented. The validation methodology is based on applying an a priori known stress agent to a solid oxide cell operated in laboratory conditions and on the discrete measurement and deconvolution of electrochemical impedance spectra. Finally, experimental evidence obtained from a fully operando approach was counterchecked through ex-post material characterization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogen Energy Systems: Optimization Models, Control and Simulation)
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28 pages, 13055 KiB  
Article
Holistic Approach to Design, Test, and Optimize Stand-Alone SOFC-Reformer Systems
by Michael Höber, Benjamin Königshofer, Philipp Wachter, Gjorgji Nusev, Pavle Boskoski, Christoph Hochenauer and Vanja Subotić
Processes 2021, 9(2), 348; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9020348 - 14 Feb 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3560
Abstract
Reliable electrical and thermal energy supplies are basic requirements for modern societies and their food supply. Stand-alone stationary power generators based on solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) represent an attractive solution to the problems of providing the energy required in both rural communities [...] Read more.
Reliable electrical and thermal energy supplies are basic requirements for modern societies and their food supply. Stand-alone stationary power generators based on solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) represent an attractive solution to the problems of providing the energy required in both rural communities and in rurally-based industries such as those of the agricultural industry. The great advantages of SOFC-based systems are high efficiency and high fuel flexibility. A wide range of commercially available fuels can be used with no or low-effort pre-treatment. In this study, a design process for stand-alone system consisting of a reformer unit and an SOFC-based power generator is presented and tested. An adequate agreement between the measured and simulated values for the gas compositions after a reformer unit is observed with a maximum error of 3 vol% (volume percent). Theoretical degradation free operation conditions determined by employing equilibrium calculations are identified to be steam to carbon ratio (H2O/C) higher 0.6 for auto-thermal reformation and H2O/C higher 1 for internal reforming. The produced gas mixtures are used to fuel large planar electrolyte supported cells (ESC). Current densities up to 500 mA/cm2 at 0.75 V are reached under internal reforming conditions without degradation of the cells anode during the more than 500 h long-term test run. More detailed electrochemical analysis of SOFCs fed with different fuel mixtures showed that major losses are caused by gas diffusion processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogen Energy Systems: Optimization Models, Control and Simulation)
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Review

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23 pages, 37303 KiB  
Review
Effects of Hydrogen Addition on Design, Maintenance and Surveillance of Gas Networks
by Pluvinage Guy, Toth Laszlo and Capelle Julien
Processes 2021, 9(7), 1219; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9071219 - 15 Jul 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3450
Abstract
Hydrogen, when is blended with natural gas over time, degrades the materials used for pipe transport. Degradation is dependent on the proportion of hydrogen added to the natural gas. The assessment is made according to hydrogen permeation, risk to the integrity of structures, [...] Read more.
Hydrogen, when is blended with natural gas over time, degrades the materials used for pipe transport. Degradation is dependent on the proportion of hydrogen added to the natural gas. The assessment is made according to hydrogen permeation, risk to the integrity of structures, adaptation of surveillance and maintenance of equipment. The paper gives a survey of HE and its consequence on the design and maintenance. It is presented in a logical sequence: the design before use; the hydrogen embrittlement (HE) effects on Maximum Allowable Operating Pressure (MAOP); maintenance and surveillance during use of smooth and damaged pipes; and, particularly, for crack-like defects, corrosion defects and dents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogen Energy Systems: Optimization Models, Control and Simulation)
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