INCREASING GRID EFFICIENCY BY INTERFACING PV & FUEL CELLS THROUGH AQUA MEDIUM

Abstract

The grid efficiency depends on the efficiencies of energy sources and transmission losses. Feeding of the grid takes place by different energy sources like Photovoltaic cells, Thermal & Hydraulic power plants. In conventional grid, during peak load PV modules supply energy to loads & during off peak loads energy is stored using batteries. For greater energy storage batteries like lithium-ion is inefficient, costlier & not compact in nature. The Idea is to replace the convention batteries with fuel cell. The fuel cell having 80% efficiency, compact & reliable. The fuel cell generates the electrical energy by taking hydrogen & oxygen (atmospheric air) as input. During off peak time the photovoltaic cell generates electrical energy from sunlight & convert it into hydrogen gas using electrolysis process. The generated hydrogen at daytime using electrolysis by utilizing solar energy, is stored in hydrogen cylinders & this hydrogen gas is supplied to fuel cells whenever energy deficiency occurs in grid during daytime or night time. The fuel cell consumes supplied hydrogen & atmospheric oxygen, generates Electrical energy & water as  by-product. The water generated at fuel cell again supplied to electrolysis chamber at photovoltaic cell it is known as PVFC Aqua Cycle. So using this method there is no need of battery usage. In MATLAB, electrolysis simulation is done by the current signal from solar panel, current signal is used as the control signal for hydrogen fuel at fuel cell. The PVFC Aqua Cycle system reduces water consumption. We can also extract the hydrogen using Photo catalytic paint which takes solar energy & water moisture in air as input to produce hydrogen. The efficient method for generating hydrogen in environmental friendly is by using electrolysis which provides high molar rate of production. The main advantage of the energy storage system it can store large quantities of energy which is fictional normal conventional batteries. The maintenance cost of the system is also less, compact in nature.