Model Predictive Control based Optimal Dispatch of Wind and Hydrogen Hybrid Systems

Abstract

To realize decarbonization, green hydrogen has been boosted in Denmark with the support of power to hydrogen (P2H) technology by taking advantage of enormous wind energy. The work efficiency of P2H technology, converting electricity from renewable energy into green hydrogen by water electrolysis can be improved by recycling its waste heat, which can be called power to hydrogen and heat (P2HH). In this paper, P2HH has been applied with a large-scale alkaline electrolyser, so that it works as a prosumer consuming electricity, and producing hydrogen and heat simultaneously. The mathematical model of the wind and hydrogen hybrid system with P2HH technology has been built and the economic performance of the hybrid system connected to the power grid has been investigated by applying an economic model predictive control (EMPC) strategy for its optimal dispatch. By using real-life historical data from the Bornholm energy island in Denmark, the simulation results show that the EMPC controller is capable of robustness to achieve optimal electricity consumption, energy cost savings, and the best economic benefits in terms of various system configurations, weights for hydrogen price, constraints on its recycled heat and working temperature. Among these configurations, without constraints on the recycled heat and weights for hydrogen price, the electrolyser working in the 60–90 °C can achieve the most profits in the study case.