Single Cell and Array Operation of Electrolyzers in Grid-connected Scenarios

As the core carrier of low-carbon transformation, the efficient utilization of hydrogen energy depends on the optimized operation of electrolyzer technology. In view of the problem that the existing electricity-hydrogen coupling model is difficult to reflect the adaptability of fluctuating power sources, this paper proposes the single-cell and array operation characteristic models of alkaline electrolyzers (AEL) and proton exchange membrane electrolyzers(PEM), and constructs a multicolumn coordinated grid-connected optimization model for alkaline-proton exchange membrane hybrid electrolyzers. A comprehensive comparison is made between single electrolyzer operation, array combined operation, and array non-combined operation. The start-up and shutdown costs are considered in the objective function, as well as whether the equipment start-up and shutdown costs and demand management are considered. Finally, the problem is transformed into a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) and solved by the Cplex commercial solver. The results show that the combined operation of the hybrid electrolyzer array is the most economical, and the high efficiency, wide regulation and flexibility of PEM can effectively reduce the hydrogen production cost of the array.