Development of a small scale hydrogen production-storage system of hydrogen applications

The successful introduction of hydrogen for transportation, consumer and military applications will require the simultaneous introduction of small scale hydrogen production-storage and distribution systems for central depot and residential use. These systems will have to be flexible, safe and economical. An integrated photovoltaic-electrolyzer-metal hydride system will meet these requirements. The system makes use of high efficiency, low cost amorphous silicon photovoltaic panels coupled to alkaline electrolysis cell stacks. The produced hydrogen is in turn stored as a metal hydride. The system can be scaled from a few watts to several kilowatts and installed in virtually any location. Metal hydride hydrogen storage is an inherently safe, low-pressure storage method. The system can be designed to be coupled directly to the application device or used to refill other storage containers. It will therefore be applicable to virtually all hydrogen applications such as fuel cells, combustion and chemical processes. The development of economical, small-scale hydrogen production-storage systems, especially utilizing renewable energy sources, will enable the successful introduction of hydrogen applications in the marketplace. This paper addresses the conceptual design, integration and sizing of the system components.