Equivalent Circuit Modeling of Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolyzer Considering Multi-physics Transients in EMTP-type Simulators

The Electromagnetic Transients Program (EMTP) is widely used for simulating electromagnetic transients in power systems. In recent years, applications of electrolyzers in electric power systems have attracted considerable attention because electrolyzers are among the most promising energy-conversion devices for realizing hydrogen production from renewable energy sources while enhancing system flexibility by functioning as controllable loads. With the growing interest in electrolyzers, it would be advantageous to broaden the application of EMTP to include multi-physics transients such as those observed in electrolyzers. This article details the implementation of such an extension for a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer (PEMEL). Analogies between electric, mass transfer, and thermal quantities are adopted to develop an electric circuit model that describes currents, voltages, mass transfer, pressure, heat transfer, and temperature. The PEMEL model considering the interactions of electric, mass transfer, and thermal transients can be readily implemented in EMTP-type programs using existing components from standard libraries. The proposed electric circuit model was validated through comparison with experimental data under both steady-state and transient conditions. The value of the proposed model was illustrated via application to a PEMELbased integrated electrical and gas system.