Dynamic Behavior of a Solid Oxide Steam Electrolyzer System Using Transient Photovoltaic Generated Power for Renewable Hydrogen Production

This study investigates the dynamic behavior of a solid oxide steam electrolyzer (SOSE) system without an external heat source that uses transient photovoltaic (PV) generated power as an input to produce compressed (to 3 MPa) renewable hydrogen to be injected directly into the natural gas network. A cathode-supported crossflow planar solid oxide electrolysis (SOE) cell is modeled in a quasi-three-dimensional thermo-electrochemical model that spatially and temporally simulates the performance of a unit cell operating dynamically. The stack is composed of 2500 unit cells that are assumed to be assembled into identically operating stacks, creating a 300 kW electrolyzer stack module. For the designed 300 kW SOSE stack (thermoneutral voltage achieved at design steady-state conditions), powered by the dynamic 0–450 kW output of PV systems, thermal management and balancing of all heat supply and cooling demands is required based upon the operating voltage to enable efficient operation and prevent degradation of the SOSE stacks. Dynamic system simulation results show that the SOSE system is capable of following the dynamic PV generated power for a sunny day (maximum PV generated power) and a cloudy day (highly dynamic PV generated power) while the SOSE stack temperature gradient is always maintained below a maximum set point along the stack for both days. The system efficiency based upon lower heating value of the generated hydrogen is between 0–75% and 0–78% with daily hydrogen production of 94 kg and 55 kg for sunny and cloudy days, respectively.