Ranking Fuel Cell Technologies for Distributed Microgrid Stationary Power Application Using VIKOR

Abstract

There are multiple types of energy technologies that are being developed to focus on the issue of energy security and sustainability. Among these different technologies, the fuel cell microgrid system is a suitable solution for isolated and island communities that suffer from energy poverty, especially in archipelagic countries like the Philippines. There is a variety in the selection of fuel cell technologies with conflicting weaknesses, strengths, and characteristics, which make choosing a difficult task. The multiple-criteria method for decision-making called the VIKOR (Vise Kriterijumska Optimizacija Kompromisno Resenje) is applied in this study as a systematic approach in the ranking of the different fuel cell technologies for stationary power application in microgrid distributed systems. Operational characteristics of the competing technologies are evaluated based on technical and economic metrics – energy efficiency (%), lifespan (hours), power density (kW/m3), specific power (W/kg), and cost ($/kW). Data for the different metrics are obtained from available studies in the literature and are evaluated utilizing the algorithm of VIKOR. Results show that polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is the most suitable fuel cell technology with an assessment index Q = 0. The ranking of the different fuel cell technologies is as follows: PEMFC > PAFC > SOFC > MCFC > AFC > DMFC. PEMFC has several advantages such as high specific power, high power density, and compact design. The result of this research demonstrates that VIKOR can be utilized to assess the various technical and economic metrics. This approach can guide decision-makers to select the best fuel cell technology for microgrid power systems for isolated communities.