Influence of power quality and stack temperature on the specific energy consumption of alkaline electrolyzer

Abstract

Abstract The efficiency of the power‐to‐hydrogen (P2H) alkaline electrolyzer (AE) is the primary factor constraint on its large‐scale application. Decreasing the specific energy consumption (SEC) of AE is positive to enhancing the efficiency of P2H system. However, the factors influencing the SEC of AE are yet to be fully revealed. In this paper, the influence of power quality and stack temperature on the SEC of AE is explored. Firstly, the models of double star rectifier and PWM current‐type rectifier are established. And the mathematical model on the SEC of rectifiers is proposed. The influence of power quality on the SEC is analyzed by comparing the current and voltage waveforms under four types of rectifiers. Secondly, the model of AE that considers the stack temperature is proposed. Unlike the existing simplified models, the proposed model can assess the SEC considering changes in stack temperature. Finally, the results show that the SEC with the 6‐pulse rectifier is 10.99% and 11.98% higher than that with the double‐star rectifier and PWM current‐type rectifier. The stack temperature is inversely related to the SEC of AE. This study provides a reference for reducing the SEC and enhancing the efficiency of the P2H system.

Keywords

• AC–DC power convertors
• electrolysis
• power supply quality
• PWM rectifiers
• rectifiers