Empowering Remote Regions: Modelling and Simulation of a 1.54 MW Off-Grid Fuel-Cell Unit for Sustainable Energy Independence

This article provides an analysis of a 1.54 MW off-grid fuel cell system designed to empower remote populations and attain sustainable energy autonomy. Amidst a time when the availability of electricity is still a significant worry in isolated regions, the focus on off-grid solutions is increasing. The study employs Simulink to examine the dynamics of the off-grid fuel cell system. The mathematical models of the different entities such as the fuel cell stack, three-phase neutral clamped point inverter, the LCL filter and the control parameters, all involved in the systems are established first to determine the components' characteristics, then all these entities are integrated as a single system under the Simulink tool to assess the off-grid system response. The findings show that the system can deliver an active power of 1.4 MW at a voltage of 600 V between phases, and maintain the total harmonic distortion below 5% to provide power to the remote region provided that hydrogen is supplied at the input of the fuel cell stack. The results also revealed that the designed off-grid system can achieve an efficiency of 90 %.