PV-Wind System with Fuel Cell & Electrolyzer

In this paper, a detailed modeling and simulation of solar cell/ wind turbine/ fuel cell hybrid power system is developed using a novel topology to complement each other and to alleviate the effects of environmental variations. Comparing with the other sources , the renewable energy is inexhaustible and has non-pollution characteristics. The solar energy, wind power, hydraulic power and tidal energy are natural resources of the interest to generate electrical power. As the wind turbine output power varies with the wind speed and the solar cell output power varies with both the ambient temperature and radiation, a fuel cell with ultra capacitor bank can be integrated to ensure that the system performs under all conditions. Excess wind and solar energies when available are converted to hydrogen using electrolysis for later use in the fuel cell. In this paper dynamic modeling of various components of this isolated system system is presented. Transient responses of the system to step change in the load, ambient temperature, radiation, and wind speed in a number of possible situations are studied. Modeling and simulations are conducted using MATLAB/Simulink software packages to verify the effectiveness of the proposed system. The results show that the proposed hybrid power system can tolerate the rapid change in natural conditions and suppress the effects of these fluctuations on the voltage within the acceptable range.The proposed system can be used for off grid power generation in non interconnected areas or remote isolated communities of nation.