Reference Power Generation for Modular PEM Electrolyzers During Power Transition with Dynamic Model Consideration

Exploring the dynamic behavior of Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolyzers (PEMEL) holds increasing significance, particularly in the context of power generation from renewable resources. This paper introduces a novel centralized power distribution and reference generation block implemented within a component named the Reference Power Generator (RPG). Unlike conventional approaches that overlook system dynamics or employ control methods that often fall short of effectively reducing overshoot and enhancing dynamic behavior, the proposed method uniformly allocates and generates a gradual power reference. This approach effectively mitigates power peaks, thereby reducing power loss during transient periods. Through a case study of the Bornholm energy island, proposing a power-to-hydrogen facility using the mentioned reference generation block with a total of 250 MW modular 40 kW PEMEL electrolyzers derived from real 400-watt units, simulation results demonstrate the efficacy of gradual power reference in efficiently reducing overshoot. Comparative analysis of power and power loss (both peak and average) dynamics across power levels of 400 W, 4 kW, and 40 kW reveals superior performance in dynamic behavior, particularly at low reference powers, with the average power loss reduced to 6.14% of the non-gradual method. These findings underscore the method’s advantage over traditional non-gradual power methods.