IL288311A - Hydrogen production plant - Google Patents

Hydrogen production plant

Info

Publication number
IL288311A
IL288311A IL288311A IL28831121A IL288311A IL 288311 A IL288311 A IL 288311A IL 288311 A IL288311 A IL 288311A IL 28831121 A IL28831121 A IL 28831121A IL 288311 A IL288311 A IL 288311A
Authority
IL
Israel
Prior art keywords
electrical power
water
hydrogen
hydrogen production
pipeline
Prior art date
Application number
IL288311A
Other languages
Hebrew (he)
Inventor
Farrugia Robert
Buhagiar Daniel
Sant Tonio
SETTINO Jessica
Original Assignee
Univ Malta
Farrugia Robert
Buhagiar Daniel
Sant Tonio
SETTINO Jessica
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Univ Malta, Farrugia Robert, Buhagiar Daniel, Sant Tonio, SETTINO Jessica filed Critical Univ Malta
Priority to IL288311A priority Critical patent/IL288311A/en
Priority to PCT/IL2022/051237 priority patent/WO2023089620A1/en
Publication of IL288311A publication Critical patent/IL288311A/en

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Classifications

    • HELECTRICITY
    • H02GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02JCIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J15/00Systems for storing electric energy
    • H02J15/008Systems for storing electric energy using hydrogen as energy vector
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H02GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02JCIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J13/00Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
    • H02J13/00001Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network characterised by the display of information or by user interaction, e.g. supervisory control and data acquisition systems [SCADA] or graphical user interfaces [GUI]
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H02GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02JCIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J3/00Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
    • H02J3/28Arrangements for balancing of the load in a network by storage of energy
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C25ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25BELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25B1/00Electrolytic production of inorganic compounds or non-metals
    • C25B1/01Products
    • C25B1/02Hydrogen or oxygen
    • C25B1/04Hydrogen or oxygen by electrolysis of water
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C25ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25BELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25B15/00Operating or servicing cells
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F03MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; WIND, SPRING, OR WEIGHT MOTORS; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F03DWIND MOTORS
    • F03D9/00Adaptations of wind motors for special use; Combinations of wind motors with apparatus driven thereby; Wind motors specially adapted for installation in particular locations
    • F03D9/10Combinations of wind motors with apparatus storing energy
    • F03D9/17Combinations of wind motors with apparatus storing energy storing energy in pressurised fluids
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F05INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUS SUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04
    • F05BINDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G
    • F05B2220/00Application
    • F05B2220/61Application for hydrogen and/or oxygen production
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H02GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02JCIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J2300/00Systems for supplying or distributing electric power characterised by decentralized, dispersed, or local generation
    • H02J2300/20The dispersed energy generation being of renewable origin
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H02GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02JCIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
    • H02J3/00Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
    • H02J3/38Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers
    • H02J3/381Dispersed generators

Description

HYDROGEN PRODUCTION PLANT FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention generally relates to hydrogen production, and more particularly to a hydrogen production plant employing intermittent renewable energy (RE) sources combined with energy storage facilities for electrical stabilization and decarbonization of the hydrogen production process.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Electrical energy is required for all stages in the hydrogen production and storage process that includes filtration, pumping, desalination, demineralization, electrolysis and compression of the hydrogen product. A general description of a typical hydrogen production plant 10based on electrolysis process of water is shown in Fig. 1 . Such a plant includes a hydrogen production system 3powered by an electrical power system 1 coupled to an electrical power grid 5 . The electrical power system 1can include one or more renewable or conventional (non-renewable) electrical power units and may also be connected to a wider electricity grid. The hydrogen production system 3includes a desalination and/or demineralization system 31whereby water that is sucked in through an inlet port 31ais purified before being sent to an electrolyzer system 32 . The level of water purity required depends on the type of electrolyzer system, but usually a reverse osmosis process is used for desalination, which might be followed by an electro­deionization unit for further demineralization. The purified water provided by the desalination/demineralization system 31is fed to the electrolyzer system 32that uses the electricity of the electrical power grid 5to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The oxygen in this process is generally a waste product that is usually released to the atmosphere via an oxygen outlet port 32b , while the hydrogen produced is transferred to the compressor system 33for compression. The compressed hydrogen is then transferred to a hydrogen product storage system 34where it can be stored, or alternatively it can be transported through a pipeline to a consumer.
Renewable energy (RE) sources are effectively inexhaustible and are abundantly available throughout the world in various forms, such as natural wind, solar, tidal and wave energy. If the electrical power unit 11of the electrical power system 1exclusively employs renewable energy (RE) sources, for example wind turbines, photovoltaic modules, etc., then the plant 10does not emit any greenhouse gases, and the hydrogen produced by the hydrogen production system 3qualifies as Green Hydrogen.Hydrogen production by electrolysis is a highly energy- and water-intensive process. The economic production of Green Hydrogen requires cheap, stable, renewable electricity and high electrolyzer utilization rates. A key challenge of a Renewable Energy- to-Hydrogen configuration rests in the coupling of the intermittent and variable renewable power source to the electrolyzer. The electrical power derived from RE sources is usually highly variable and intermittent. The negative impact of an electrical intermittent power supply on the performance of water electrolyzers is known. For example, A. Weiß et al. in the paper published in J. Electrochemical Soc., 166, F487, 2019 investigated the impact of an intermittent power supply on the performance and lifetime of a proton exchange membrane water electrolyzer, and found that prolonged ‘Start’/‘Stop’ electrolyzer cycling led to a significant decrease in the performance of the electrolyzer.If an energy storage unit is electrically connected to a Renewable Energy (RE) generator and a hydrogen production system, then it can absorb the intermittency in the power supply and maximize the utilization rate of the electrolyzer itself. This makes energy storage a key requisite for a cost-effective Green Hydrogen production process. To date, the typical hydrogen production concept has addressed this challenge by using electro-chemical energy storage solutions, such as electrical batteries, in order to stabilize and smoothen the fluctuating power supplied by an RE generator to the water electrolyzer.For example, WO2010133684A1 describes a hydrogen production system whereby a battery accumulator unit, used for electrical storage, is connected in parallel to a renewable energy generator to stabilize the power supplied to a water electrolyzer. EP2772983A1 describes a similar setup using a battery together with a control system to control electrical flows and thus to reduce rapid variations.WO2020065482A1 describes a hydrogen fueling system, whereby a hydrogen electrolyzer is supplied by an external power source that could be a renewable power source, electrically connected to an electrical storage system that may include at least one of a chemical electric battery, a super capacitor, a pumped hydro system, a compressed gas system, a thermal storage system, a flywheel, or a non-hydrogen fuel cell. Suitable compressed gas systems mentioned include underground compressed air or compressed carbon dioxide systems.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The concept of the present invention involves employment of a hydrogen production system in conjunction with a hydro pneumatic energy storage and recovery (HPESR) system that stores energy using pressurized liquid and compressed gas. Integration of an HPESR system with a hydrogen production system powered by RE can stabilize and smoothen the power output of the intermittent renewable energy source that can result in a reduced number of ‘Start’/‘Stop’ electrolyzer cycles. This can be reflected in improved electrolyzer lifetime, and thus in a reduced number of electrolyzer replacements over the plant’s lifecycle, while also improving electrolyzer utilization rates.None of the energy storage systems used in conjunction with a hydrogen production system described in the prior art specifically employs an HPESR system as a means of energy storage. Compared to other storage systems used in the prior art systems, the integration of an HPESR system as an energy storage device within a hydrogen production plant provides several key advantages. Apart from stabilizing and smoothening the power output of the intermittent renewable energy source and mitigating problems originating from intermittency in natural energy sources, the HPESR system can additionally provide pressurized, cool water, which may increase the efficiency of a fully decarbonized hydrogen production process. In operation, pressurized water from the HPESR system can be used as an input to the desalination and/or demineralization system, whereas cool water may be used to enhance the thermal efficiency of the hydrogen compression process that is required for the fuel storage and transport stages.Furthermore, none of the energy storage systems used in conjunction with a hydrogen production system are designed specifically for offshore use. There are several advantages of locating green hydrogen production offshore. Indeed, there is already a drive towards offshore wind and solar energy production, primarily due to improved resource availability, limited land availability and socio-environmental factors, so it makes sense to co-locate the hydrogen production system offshore. Moreover, the ocean is an abundant source of water that can be desalinated and purified for use in the electrolyzer. Likewise, the maritime industry has the potential to become a major consumer of hydrogen, or of ammonia synthesized from the hydrogen, both of which could replace hydrocarbons as the fuel of choice for ships or other maritime vessels.In offshore systems, space and weight limitations, as well as increased safety risks on floating or seabed-mounted platforms should be carefully considered. Unlike conventional systems such as batteries, which are bulky and introduce significant risks in a highly volatile, hydrogen-rich environment, the integration of an HPESR system with a hydrogen production system has several advantages. In this case no additional space is required on the offshore platform, since most components or the entire HPESR system can be installed subsea. When compared to batteries, the HPESR system introduces no fire hazard, given that none of the materials used are flammable. Moreover, compared to batteries that have to be replaced every 5 to 7 years, the described approach is designed for a longer lifetime, e.g. in the order of 30 years or more. As noted above, the pressurized sea water from the HPESR system may be used to supply the desalination and/or demineralization system of the hydrogen production system. Furthermore, when the HPESR system is installed offshore, the cold sea water from the HPESR system may be used as a superior heat sink for the hydrogen compression process, thus enabling higher thermal efficiencies. It may also offer the opportunity to reduce the size of heat exchangers required to cool down the hydrogen undergoing compression.Thus, according to a general aspect of the present invention, there is provided a novel hydrogen production plant. The hydrogen production plant includes an electrical power grid and an electrical power system. The electrical power system includes one or more renewable energy (RE) electrical generation units to supply intermittent renewable electrical power to the electrical power grid. When required, an electrical power system may also include one or more conventional (non-renewable) electrical generation units, and can also be connected to a wider electricity grid.The hydrogen production plant also includes a hydro-pneumatic energy storage and recovery (HPESR) system configured to mitigate the problems associated with the intermittent supply of natural energy by providing a regulated supply of electrical power to the electrical power grid when required, a hydrogen production system powered by the electrical power from the grid, and a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system configured to regulate the supply of electrical power to the grid from the HPESR system in order to stabilize and smoothen the power output of the intermittent renewable energy source.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the renewable energy (RE) generation unit(s) is(are) configured to harvest one or more renewable energy sources, to generate intermittent electrical power when renewable energy source(s) is(are) available, and to provide the intermittent electrical power P1 to the local electrical power grid.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the HPESR system includes a pressure containment system having an accumulator chamber configured to hold compressed gas and pressurized water stored in the accumulator chamber under pressure of the compressed gas, and an electrical energy recovery device hydraulically coupled to the accumulator chamber. In operation, potential energy of pressurized water is converted into electricity by allowing the pressurized water to flow through the electrical energy recovery device.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the electrical energy recovery device includes one or more hydraulic machines, such as hydraulic turbines or hydraulic motors, arranged on an outlet pipeline, which is driven by the pressurized water expelled from the accumulator chamber. An electrical power generator can be coupled to these hydraulic machines. The electrical power generator is configured to convert the rotational mechanical energy of the hydraulic machines into an electrical power output P2 , and to provide this electrical power to the electrical power grid when required.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the HPESR system also includes a hydraulic outlet actuated valve arranged in the outlet pipeline, and configured to regulate egress of the water from the pressure containment system, such that a desired flow rate of the water is maintained through the outlet pipeline.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the hydrogen production system of the hydrogen production plant is electrically coupled to the electrical power grid for receiving the electrical power P1 (that is provided by the electrical power system) and the electrical power P2 (that is provided by the electrical energy recovery device). For normal operation, the hydrogen production system requires a predetermined electrical power value P3 .According to an embodiment of the present invention, the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system of the hydrogen production plant is operatively coupled, for example electrically by means of wires or wirelessly, to the hydraulic outlet actuated valve. The SCADA system is configured to control operation of the plant to allow for a controllable supply of the pressurized water to be expelled from the accumulator chamber into the hydraulic machine.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the SCADA system, inter alia, includes an electric power meter arranged in the electrical power grid and an electronic controller operatively coupled, for example electrically or wirelessly, to the electric power meter. The electric power meter is configured to measure and produce an electrical power data signal representative of the electrical power of the electrical power grid. The electronic controller is responsive to the electrical power data signal and is capable of generating control signals for actuating the hydraulic outlet actuated valve. Specifically, the electronic controller generates control signals to open the hydraulic outlet actuated valve when the intermittent electrical power P1 provided to the electrical power grid by the RE electrical power unit(s) has a magnitude less than the predetermined electrical power value P3 , so as to provide a water flow through the outlet pipeline of the HPESR system that is sufficient to generate the electrical power P2 having such an electrical power value that a sum of the intermittent electrical power P1 and the electrical power P2 are greater than or equal to the predetermined electrical power value required by the hydrogen production system P3 (i.e., P1 + P2 > P3 ).According to an embodiment of the present invention, the SCADA system, inter alia, includes a pneumatic pressure sensor configured for producing a gas pressure sensor signal indicative of a pressure p2 of the compressed gas in the accumulator chamber. The electronic controller is operatively coupled, for example electrically or wirelessly, to the pneumatic pressure sensor, responsive to the gas pressure sensor signal, and is capable of generating control signals for actuating the hydraulic outlet actuated valve. Such signals are intended to open the hydraulic outlet actuated valve when the gas pressure p2 in the accumulator chamber is greater than a minimal allowable pressure p2,min of the compressed gas, and to close the hydraulic outlet actuated valve when the gas pressure p2 is less than a minimal allowable pressure p2,min of the compressed gas.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the HPESR system of the hydrogen production plant includes a water inlet pipeline passing from a water body and hydraulically coupled to the accumulator chamber of the pressure containment system, and a water pressurization system arranged on the water inlet pipeline. The water pressurization system includes a pump configured for pumping water into the accumulator chamber.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system of the hydrogen production plant includes an electronic controller that is operatively coupled, for example electrically or wirelessly, to the water pressurization system, and is configured to generate control signals for actuating the water pressurization system so that it consumes an amount of electrical power P4 . Specifically, the electronic controller generates control signals to actuate the water pressurization system when the intermittent electrical power P1 provided to the electrical power grid by the RE electrical power unit has a magnitude greater than the predetermined electrical power value P3 , so as to pump water into the accumulator chamber. The value of P4 is such that a difference of the intermittent electrical power P1 and the electrical power P4 is greater than the predetermined electrical power value required by the hydrogen production system P3 (i.e., P1 - P4 > P3 ). In other words, the excess power produced by P1 that is not required for operation of the hydrogen production system is used to operate the water pressurization system and hence store this excess energy in the form of compressed air within the HPESR system.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the SCADA system, inter alia, includes an upper water level sensor and a lower level sensor arranged inside the pressure containment system of the HPESR system. The lower level sensor is configured for producing a minimal water level signal when the level of the pressurized water in the accumulator chamber is below a minimal water level and the upper water level sensor is configured for producing a maximal water level signal when the level of the pressurized water in the accumulator chamber is above a maximal water level.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the electronic controller of the SCADA system is operatively coupled, for example electrically or wirelessly, to the water pressurization system, to the upper water level sensor, and to the lower level sensor. In operation, the electronic controller is responsive to the minimal water level signal and is capable of generating control signals to close the hydraulic outlet actuated valve, and to turn-on the pump of the water pressurization system to start pumping water into the accumulator chamber when the water level in the accumulator chamber is below the minimal water level. Likewise, the electronic controller is responsive to the maximal water level signal and is capable of generating control signals to open the hydraulic outlet actuated valve and to turn-off the pump of the water pressurization system when the water level in the accumulator chamber exceeds the maximal water level.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the hydrogen production system of the hydrogen production plant includes a desalination/demineralization system configured to desalinate and/or demineralize water provided from a water body. The desalination/demineralization system includes a main inlet port through which the water passing from the water body is provided into the desalination/demineralization system. The desalination/demineralization system is electrically coupled to the electrical power grid to receive electrical power for its operation.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the hydrogen production system also includes an electrolyzer system hydraulically coupled to the desalination/demineralization system for receiving desalinated/demineralized water, and electrically coupled to the electrical power grid for the receiving electrical power for its operation to convert the purified water into hydrogen and oxygen in an electrolysis process.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the hydrogen production system also includes a hydrogen compressor system (HCS) coupled to the electrolyzer system, and configured for compression of the hydrogen provided by the electrolyzer system. The HCS is electrically coupled to the electrical power grid to receive electrical power for its operation.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the hydrogen production system also includes a hydrogen storage system (HSS) coupled to the hydrogen compressor system, and configured to store the compressed hydrogen provided by the hydrogen compressor system. The HSS may be electrically coupled to the electrical power grid if it requires electrical power, for example to cool the hydrogen.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the hydrogen production plant further includes a water supply pipeline coupling the HPESR system to the desalination/demineralization system. The desalination/demineralization system, inter alia, includes a supplementary inlet port configured for providing a portion of the water released from the HPESR system into the desalination/demineralization system via the water supply pipeline. The water supply pipeline is hydraulically connected to the supplementary inlet port at one end of the water supply pipeline and to the outlet pipeline at its other end of the water supply pipeline.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the hydrogen production plant further includes a flow-regulating valve arranged in the water supply pipeline. The flow-regulating valve is configured to modulate a rate of the water flow passing from the outlet pipeline into the desalination/demineralization system through the supplementary inlet port.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the hydrogen compressor system (HCS) of the hydrogen production system includes an HCS heat exchanger, a HCS cooling inlet port, and an HCS cooling outlet port configured to provide circulation of a cooling liquid through the HCS heat exchanger for the cooling of the hydrogen compressor system during hydrogen compression.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the hydrogen storage system (HSS) includes a HSS storage heat exchanger, an HSS storage cooling inlet port, and an HSS storage cooling outlet port configured to provide for circulation of a cooling liquid through the HSS heat exchanger for cooling of the hydrogen storage system during hydrogen storage.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the hydrogen production plant further includes a cooler hydraulic pipeline coupling the HPESR system to the hydrogen compressor system (HCS) and/or to the hydrogen storage system (HSS) of the hydrogen production system. According to this embodiment, the hydrogen compressor system further includes another HCS cooling inlet port, while the hydrogen storage system includes another HSS cooling inlet port. The cooler hydraulic pipeline is split at one end, and is coupled at this end to the HCS cooling inlet port and to the HSS cooling inlet port, while, at another end, the cooler hydraulic pipeline is coupled to the outlet pipeline coupled to the HPESR system. This provision enables for circulation of a portion of the water released from the HPESR system through the HCS heat exchanger for the cooling of the hydrogen compressor system during hydrogen compression, and through the HSS heat exchanger for cooling of the hydrogen storage system during hydrogen storage.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the hydrogen production plant further includes a flow-regulating valve arranged in the cooler hydraulic pipeline. This flow-regulating valve is configured to modulate the rate of a water flow passing through the cooler hydraulic pipeline from the outlet pipeline into the heat exchangers of the hydrogen compressor system and the hydrogen storage system through their corresponding HCS and HCS inlet ports.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the hydrogen production plant includes the water supply pipeline coupling the HPESR system to the desalination/demineralization system of the hydrogen production system, and the cooler hydraulic pipeline coupling the HPESR system to the compressor system and/or to the hydrogen storage system of the hydrogen production system.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the desalination/demineralization system of the hydrogen production system includes a wastewater outlet port. The hydrogen compressor system (HCS) of the hydrogen production system includes an HCS cooling liquid inlet port. The hydrogen storage system (HSS) includes an HSS cooling liquid inlet port. According to this embodiment, the hydrogen production plant further includes a second cooler hydraulic pipeline coupling the wastewater outlet port of the desalination/demineralization system at one end of the pipeline. Another end of the second cooler hydraulic pipeline is split, and is coupled to the HCS cooling inlet port of the hydrogen compressor system to provide for circulation of a cooling liquid through the HCS heat exchanger for cooling of the hydrogen compressor system during hydrogen compression. Another end of the second cooler hydraulic pipeline can also be coupled to the HSS cooling inlet port of the hydrogen storage system to provide circulating of a cooling liquid through the HSS heat exchanger for cooling of the hydrogen storage system during hydrogen storage. Thus, the wastewater exiting from the desalination/demineralization system can be supplied to the compressor system and/or to the hydrogen storage system for cooling thereof.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the hydrogen production plant further includes a water pressure exchanger hydraulically coupled to the HPESR system and to the hydrogen production system. The water pressure exchanger includes a high pressure inlet port, a low pressure inlet port, a first outlet port, and a second outlet port.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the hydrogen production plant also includes an HPESR supply pipeline coupling said high pressure inlet port to the HPESR system, a pressure exchanger water inlet pipeline coupled to said low pressure inlet port and configured for extraction of water from a water body, a third cooler hydraulic pipeline coupling said first outlet port to the compressor system and/or to the hydrogen storage system, and another water supply pipeline coupling said second outlet port to the desalination/demineralization system through the supplementary inlet port.According to an embodiment of the present invention, the hydrogen production plant includes a support platform, for example, a fixed or floating support platform. The support platform can, for example, be located in a body of water. The support platform includes a gas chamber having an additional volume for holding a compressed gas. When required, the compressed gas can be at the same pressures as the compressed gas within the pressure containment system of the HPESR system. The hydrogen production plant also includes a pneumatic hose including a pneumatic conduit configured to provide a pneumatic communication for linking the compressed gas in the gas chamber to the compressed gas in the accumulator chamber.According to some embodiments of the present invention, the electrical power system is mounted on a support platform.According to some embodiments of the present invention, the hydrogen production system is mounted on a support platform.There have thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows hereinafter may be better understood. Additional details and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description, and in part will be appreciated from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS AND SYMBOLS 1 - Electrical Power System 10 - Typical Hydrogen Production Plant 11 - Electrical Power Unit 12 - Renewable (RE) Electrical Power Unit 2 - Hydro Pneumatic Energy Storage and Recovery System 20 - Hydrogen Production Plant 21 - Pressure containment system 210 - Accumulator Chamber of Pressure containment system 21 211 - Pressurized Water 212 - Compressed Gas 22 - Inlet Port of the HPESR System 2 221 - Water Pressurization System 222 - Inlet Water Filter 223 - HPESR Water Inlet Pipeline 224 - Inlet of Water Pipeline 223 225 - Water Outlet Pipeline 226 - Outlet Flow Meter 23 - Outlet Port of HPESR system 230 - Flow-Regulating Valve 231 - Outlet Water Filter 232 - Outlet Actuated Valve 233 - Further Flow-Regulating Valve 234 - Another Flow-Regulating Valve 24 - Electrical Energy Recovery Device 241 - Hydraulic Machine 24b - Outlet Port 25 - Outlet Port 251 - Pneumatic Control Valve 26 - Pneumatic Hose 3 - Hydrogen Production (HP) system 31 - Desalination/Demineralization System 31a - Main Inlet Port of Desalination/Demineralization System 31b - Outlet Port of Desalination/Demineralization System 310a- Supplementary Inlet Port of Desalination/Demineralization System 32 - Electrolyzer System 32b - Oxygen Outlet Port of Electrolyzer System 33 - Hydrogen Compressor System 33a - Cooling Inlet Port of Compressor 33b - Cooling Outlet Port of Compressor 33c - HCS Cooling Inlet Port 33d - another HCS Cooling Inlet Port 34 - Hydrogen Storage System (HSS) 34a - HSS Cooling Liquid Inlet Port 34b - HSS Cooling Outlet Port B3 34c - HSS Cooling Inlet Port 34d - Another HSS Cooling Inlet Port 4 - Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) System 41 - Electronic Controller 42 - Electric Power Meter 43a - Upper Water Level Sensor 43b - Lower Water Level Sensor 44 - Pneumatic Pressure Sensor 5 - Electrical Power Grid 61 - Water Supply Pipeline 62 - Cooler Hydraulic Pipeline 63 - Second Cooler Hydraulic Pipeline 64 - HPESR supply pipeline 65 - Exchanger Water Inlet Pipeline 66 - Third Cooler Hydraulic Pipeline 67 - Water Supply Pipeline 7 - Pressure Exchanger 701 - Water Feed Pump 71 - High Pressure Inlet Port 72 - Low Pressure Inlet Port 73 - First Outlet Port 74 - Second Outlet Port 8 - Water Body 9 - Support Platform 91 - Gas Chamber A3- Water Flow from Water Outlet Pipeline 225to Desalination/Demineralization System 31through Supplementary inlet Port 310a A30- Water Flow passing through the Cooler Hydraulic Pipeline 62fromWater Outlet Pipeline 225into heat exchangers of Hydrogen Compressor System 33and Hydrogen Storage System 34through Inlet Ports 33cand 34c , correspondinglyWater Flow passing through Second Cooler Hydraulic Pipeline 63 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order to understand the invention and to see how it may be implemented in practice, embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting examples only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of a typical prior art hydrogen production system; Fig. 2 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of a hydrogen production plant, according to one embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 3 illustrates generally a schematic flowchart diagram of a method for hydrogen production by the hydrogen production plant of Fig. 2 , according to an embodiment of the present invention; and Figs. 4 through 11illustrate a schematic cross-sectional view of a hydrogen production plant, according to several other embodiments of the present invention.

Claims (19)

- 37 -
1.CLAIMS: 1. A hydrogen production plant (20) comprising:an electrical power grid (5);an electrical power system (1) including at least one renewable energy (RE) electrical power unit (12) configured to harvest at least one renewable energy source generating intermittent electrical power when said at least one renewable energy source is available, and to provide the intermittent electrical power (P1) to the said electrical power grid (5);a hydro-pneumatic energy storage and recovery (HPESR) system (2) including:a pressure containment system (21) having an accumulator chamber (210) configured to hold compressed gas (212) and pressurized water (211) stored in the accumulator chamber (210) under pressure of the compressed gas (212); andan electrical energy recovery device (24) hydraulically coupled to the accumulator chamber (210), and including:a hydraulic machine (241) being driven by the pressurized water expelled from the accumulator chamber (210) through a water outlet pipeline (225);an electrical power generator coupled to the hydraulic machine (241), and configured to convert the rotational mechanical energy of the hydraulic machine (241) into electrical power (P2), and to provide the electrical power (P2) to the electrical power grid (5) when required; anda hydraulic outlet actuated valve (232) arranged in the water outlet pipeline (225), and configured to regulate egress of the water from the pressure containment system (21) such that a desired flow rate of the water is maintained through the water outlet pipeline (225);a hydrogen production system (3) electrically coupled to said electrical power grid (5) for receiving the electrical power (P1) provided by the electrical power system (1) and the electrical power (P2) provided by the electrical energy recovery device (24), said hydrogen production system (3) demanding a predetermined electrical power value (P3) for normal operation; anda Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system (4) operatively coupled to said hydraulic outlet actuated valve (232), and configured to control operation - 38 - of the hydraulic outlet actuated valve (232) for a controllable supply of the pressurized water expelled from the accumulator chamber into the hydraulic machine (241), the SCADA system (4) comprising:an electric power meter (42) electrically coupled to the electrical power grid (5) and configured to measure and produce an electrical power data signal representative of the electrical power (P1) generated by the electrical power system (1) and provided to the electrical power grid (5); andan electronic controller (41) operatively coupled to the electric power meter (42); said electronic controller (41) being responsive to the said electrical power data signal and being capable of generating control signals for actuating said hydraulic outlet actuated valve (232) to open said hydraulic outlet actuated valve (232), when the intermittent electrical power (P1) provided to the electrical power grid (5) has a magnitude less than said predetermined electrical power value (P3), so as to provide a water flow through the water outlet pipeline (225) sufficient to generate the electrical power (P2) having such an electrical power value that a sum of the electrical power (P2) and the intermittent electrical power (P1) are greater than or equal to said predetermined electrical power value (P3).
2. The hydrogen production plant of claim 1,wherein the HPESR system (2) includes:an HPESR water inlet pipeline (223) passing from a water body and hydraulically coupled to the accumulator chamber (210) of the pressure containment system (21); and a water pressurization system (221) arranged in the HPESR water inlet pipeline (223), the water pressurization system (221) comprising a pump configured for pumping water into the accumulator chamber (210);wherein the electronic controller (41) is operatively coupled to the water pressurization system (221);wherein the electronic controller (41) is configured to generate control signals for actuating said water pressurization system (221) when the intermittent electrical power (P1) provided to the electrical power grid (5) has a magnitude greater than said predetermined electrical power value (P3) so as to consume an amount of electrical power - 39 - (P4) being such that a subtraction of the electrical power (P4) from the intermittent electrical power (P1) is greater than said predetermined electrical power value (P3).
3. The hydrogen production plant of claim 2, wherein the SCADA system (4) includes a pneumatic pressure sensor (44) configured for producing a gas pressure sensor signal indicative of a pressure (p2) of the compressed gas (212) in the accumulator chamber (210); the electronic controller (41) is operatively coupled to the pneumatic pressure sensor (44), responsive to the gas pressure sensor signal and is capable of generating control signals for:actuating said hydraulic outlet actuated valve (232) so as (i) to open said hydraulic outlet actuated valve (232) when the gas pressure (p2) in the accumulator chamber (210) is greater than a minimal allowable pressure (p2,min) of the compressed gas (212) and the intermittent electrical power (P1) is less than said predetermined electrical power value (P3), (ii) to maintain said hydraulic outlet actuated valve (232) closed when the intermittent electrical power (P1) is greater than or equal to said predetermined electrical power value (P3) for any value of the gas pressure (p2) in the accumulator chamber (210), and (iii) to close said hydraulic outlet actuated valve (232) when the gas pressure (p2) in the accumulator chamber (210) is less than or equal to a minimal allowable pressure (p2,min) of the compressed gas (212); andactuating said water pressurization system (221) so as (i) to turn the pump on when the gas pressure (p2) in the accumulator chamber (210) is less than a maximum allowable pressure (p2,max) of the compressed gas (212) and the intermittent electrical power (P1) is greater than said predetermined electrical power value (P3), (ii) to maintain said pump off when intermittent electrical power (P1) is less than or equal to said predetermined electrical power value (P3) for any value of the gas pressure (p2) and (iii) to turn the pump off when the gas pressure (p2) in the accumulator chamber (210) is greater than or equal to a maximum allowable pressure (p2,max) of the compressed gas (212).
4. The hydrogen production plant of claims 2 or 3, wherein the SCADA system (4) includes an upper water level sensor (43a) and a lower water level sensor (43b) arranged inside the pressure containment system (21); said lower water level sensor (43b) is configured for producing a minimal water level signal when a level of the pressurized water in the accumulator chamber (210) is below a minimal water level and said upper - 40 - water level sensor (43a) is configured for producing a maximal water level signal when a level of the pressurized water in the accumulator chamber (210) is above a maximal water level.
5. The hydrogen production plant of claim 4, whereinthe electronic controller (41) is operatively coupled to said upper water level sensor (43a) and to said lower water level sensor (43b);wherein the electronic controller (41) is responsive to the minimal water level signal and is capable of generating control signals to close said hydraulic outlet actuated valve (232), when the water level in the accumulator chamber is below or equal to the minimal water level; andwherein the electronic controller (41) is responsive to the maximal water level signals and is capable of generating control signals to turn off the pump of the water pressurization system (221), when the water level in the accumulator chamber is equal to or exceeds the maximal water level.
6. The hydrogen production plant of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the hydrogen production system (3) includes:a desalination/demineralization system (31) electrically coupled to the electrical power grid (5) to receive electrical power for its operation,wherein said desalination/demineralization system (31) includes a main inlet port (31a) for receiving the water passing from a water body, and is configured to desalinate and/or demineralize water provided from the water body; andan electrolyzer system (32) hydraulically coupled to the desalination/demineralization system (31) to receive desalinated and/or demineralized water therefrom, and electrically coupled to the electrical power grid (5) to receive electrical power for its operation to break the desalinated and/or demineralized water into hydrogen and oxygen in an electrolysis process.
7. The hydrogen production plant of claim 6, wherein the hydrogen production system (3) further includes a hydrogen compressor system (HCS) (33) electrically coupled to the electrical power grid (5) to receive electrical power for its operation; said hydrogen compressor system (HCS) (33) coupled to the electrolyzer system (32) and - 41 - configured to receive and compress the hydrogen provided by the electrolyzer system (32).
8. The hydrogen production plant of claim 7, wherein the hydrogen production system (3) further includes a hydrogen storage system (HSS) (34) coupled to the hydrogen compressor system (33), and configured to store the compressed hydrogen provided by the hydrogen compressor system (33).
9. The hydrogen production plant of any one of claims 6 to 8, further comprising a water supply pipeline (61) coupling the HPESR system (2) to the desalination/demineralization system (31), wherein the desalination/demineralization system (31) includes a supplementary inlet port (310a) configured for providing a portion of the pressurized water (211) released from the HPESR system (2) into the desalination/demineralization system (31) via the water supply pipeline (61); the water supply pipeline (61) being hydraulically connected to the supplementary inlet port (310a) at one end of the water supply pipeline (61) and to the water outlet pipeline (225) at its other end of the water supply pipeline (61).
10. The hydrogen production plant of claim 9, further comprising a flow-regulating valve (230) arranged in the water supply pipeline (61), the electronic controller (41) is operatively coupled to the said flow-regulating valve (230) to modulate a rate of the water flow (A3) passing from the water outlet pipeline (225) into the desalination/demineralization system (31) through the supplementary inlet port (310a).
11. The hydrogen production plant of any one of claims 8 to 10,wherein the hydrogen compressor system (HCS) (33) of the hydrogen production system (3) includes an HCS heat exchanger, an HCS cooling inlet port (33a) and an HCS cooling outlet port (33b), and configured to provide circulation of a cooling liquid through the HCS heat exchanger for the cooling of the hydrogen compressor system (33) and/or the hydrogen stored in the hydrogen compressor system (33) during compression; and/or wherein the hydrogen storage system (HSS) (34) includes an HSS storage heat exchanger, an HSS cooling liquid inlet port (34a) and an HSS storage cooling liquid outlet port (34b), and configured to provide circulation of a cooling liquid through the HSS heat - 42 - exchanger for cooling of the hydrogen storage system (34) and/or the hydrogen stored in the hydrogen storage system (33) during hydrogen storage.
12. The hydrogen production plant of any one of claims 8 to 11, further comprising a cooler hydraulic pipeline (62) coupling the HPESR system (2) to the hydrogen compressor system (HCS) (33) and/or to the hydrogen storage system (HSS) (34) of the hydrogen production system (3); wherein the hydrogen compressor system (33) further includes an HCS cooling inlet port (33c), while the hydrogen storage system (34) includes an HSS cooling inlet port (34c); wherein the cooler hydraulic pipeline (62) is split at one end, and is coupled at this end to the HCS cooling inlet port (33c) and to the HSS cooling inlet port (34c), while at another end, the cooler hydraulic pipeline (62) is coupled to the water outlet pipeline (225);thereby to provide circulation of a portion of the water released from the HPESR system (2) through the HCS heat exchanger to cool the hydrogen compressor system (33) and/or the hydrogen stored in the hydrogen compressor system (33) during compression; and/or through the HSS heat exchanger to cool the hydrogen storage system (34) and/or the hydrogen stored in the hydrogen storage system (33) during hydrogen storage.
13. The hydrogen production plant of claim 12, further comprising a flow-regulating valve (233) arranged in the cooler hydraulic pipeline (62), the electronic controller (41) is operatively coupled to the said flow-regulating valve (233) to modulate a rate of water flow (A30) passing through the cooler hydraulic pipeline (62) from the water outlet pipeline (225) into the heat exchangers of the hydrogen compressor system (33) and/or the hydrogen storage system (34) through the HCS cooling inlet port (33c) and/or the HSS cooling inlet port (34c), correspondingly.
14. The hydrogen production plant of claims 9 or 10,wherein the desalination/demineralization system (31) of the hydrogen production system (3) includes a wastewater outlet port (31b);wherein the hydrogen compressor system (HCS) (33) of the hydrogen production system (3) includes an HCS cooling liquid inlet port (33d);wherein the hydrogen storage system (HSS) (34) includes an HSS cooling inlet port (34d); - 43 - wherein the hydrogen production plant further includes a second cooler hydraulic pipeline (63) coupling the wastewater outlet port (31b) of the desalination/demineralization system (31) at one end of the second cooler hydraulic pipeline (63), while another end of the second cooler hydraulic pipeline (63) is split and is coupled to the HCS cooling inlet port (33d) of the hydrogen compressor system (33) to provide circulation of a cooling liquid through the HCS heat exchanger for the cooling of the hydrogen compressor system (33) and/or the hydrogen stored in the hydrogen compressor system (33) during compression and/or to the HSS cooling inlet port (34d) of the hydrogen storage system (34) to provide circulation of a cooling liquid through the HSS heat exchanger for the cooling of the hydrogen storage system (34) and/or the hydrogen stored in the hydrogen storage system (33) during hydrogen storage; thereby the wastewater exiting from the desalination/demineralization system (31) is supplied to the compressor system (33) and/or to the hydrogen storage system (34) for cooling thereof.
15. The hydrogen production plant of any one of claims 6 to 8, further comprising:a water pressure exchanger (7) hydraulically coupled to the HPESR system (2) and to the hydrogen production system (3), the water pressure exchanger (7) comprising: a high pressure inlet port (71), a low pressure inlet port (72), a first outlet port (73), anda second outlet port (74);an HPESR supply pipeline (64) coupling said high pressure inlet port (71) to the HPESR system (2);an exchanger water inlet pipeline (65) coupled to said low pressure inlet port (72), and configured for extraction of water from a water body; anda water supply pipeline (67) coupling said second outlet port (74) to the desalination/demineralization system (31) of the hydrogen production system (3) through the supplementary inlet port (310a).
16. The hydrogen production plant of claim 15, further comprising: - 44 - a cooler hydraulic pipeline (66) coupling said first outlet port (73) to the compressor system (33) and/or to the hydrogen storage system (34) of the hydrogen production system (3); 5
17.The hydrogen production plant of any one of claims 1 to 16, further comprising:a support platform (9) including a gas chamber (91) having a volume for holding compressed gas; anda pneumatic hose (26) including a pneumatic conduit configured to provide a pneumatic communication for linking the gas chamber (91) to the compressed gas in the accumulator chamber (210).
18.The hydrogen production plant of claim 17, wherein the electrical power system (1) is mounted on said support platform (9). 15
19.The hydrogen production plant of claims 17 or 18, wherein the hydrogen production system (3) is mounted on said support platform (9).
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AU2003295494B2 (en) * 2002-11-18 2010-12-23 Gregory B. Ryan System and method for water pasteurization and power generation
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