Renewable Energy Integration for Vehicles: Solar Energy and Green Hydrogen

Abstract

Abstract This study demonstrates integration of renewable energies – solar energy and green hydrogen – for fueling vehicles. A scale prototype was tested – a vehicle that works with a reversible fuel cell, powered by photovoltaic energy, and whose operation is visible. The advantage of this method is that H 2 is produced in the vehicle itself. This experiment was carried out in the Laboratory of Smart Grids and Renewable Energies of the Faculty of Science of the Polytechnic High School of Chimborazo. For the statistical analysis, a 22 factorial design was used, where factor A was the charging time of the solar panel (5 min – 15 min) and factor B was radiation (low [at night or early in the morning] – high [midday]). The average maximum vehicle operating time was 162.37 s at the point (high radiation, 15 min). It is recommended that the internal polymeric membrane of the fuel cell should stay hydrated up to half its capacity.

Keywords

• photovoltaic energy, renewable energy, fuel cell, electrolysis, hydrogen, solar panel.