PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN VIA AN ELECTROLYSER FED BY PV CELLS: SIMULATION MODEL

The optimisation of hydrogen production by an electrolyser supplied by renewable sources is considered. To reach the goal, the first step has been to compile a simulation program in LabVIEW, an icon programming language, that reproduces a photovoltaic (PV) plant connected to an alkaline electrolyser. The virtual instrument is developed on the basis of incident radiation, PV cells and electrolysers models. After establishing the PV cells type, the number of the PV cells forming the plant, the tilt of all panels, the number of strings, the latitude and also the main characteristics of the electrolyser, (e.g. the nominal power, the number of the electrolytic cells, the working temperature and pressure), the program computes the produced hydrogen, the electrolyser running hours and other less important data, during a chosen period of the year.
Different tilted photovoltaic panels have been considered directly coupled with the electrolyser and connected to a chopper between the two systems.
On the basis of this simulation program it is possible to study the optimisation of hydrogen production via an electrolyser fed by a photovoltaic plant working during the whole year.