Modeling and Control of Photovoltaic Hydrogen Production System

Hydrocarbon resources can suitably meet the energy demands of today. Due to their environmental impact, renewable energy sources are high on the agenda. As an energy carrier, hydrogen is considered one of the most promising fuels for its high energy density as compared to hydrocarbon fuels. Therefore, hydrogen has significant and future uses as a sustainable energy system. Conventional methods of hydrogen extraction require heat or electrical energy. In this paper, we introduce a new approach to hydrogen production by integrating electrolysis with a renewable energy source such as photovoltaic (PV) to maximise hydrogen generation. A modelling complete modelling of the PV-electrolysis system is developed in Matlab/Simulink environment. Simulation results show that the use of a DC/DC buck converter with an MPPT control allows a better adaptation between the PV generator and the alkaline electrolysis.