M.Sc.

Thesis Proposal
Department of Energy Technology

TITLE
Dynamic Modeling Wind Energy Systems for Hydrogen Generation

Background
Electrolytic hydrogen produced by water electrolysis is a clean source of energy, provided that the e
the electrolyser is run by electricity generated from non-polluting sources. Although conventional
thermal power plants can supply the required electrical energy at relatively cheap costs, yet they
have a significant impact on the environment. Therefore, emission-free renewable sources such as
solar and wind energies can be used for providing the required electricity without affecting the
environment. Wind energy (WE), in particular, is a promising technology for power generation
suitable for residential applications, particularly in remote locations such as islands, oasis and
isolated villages in forests and mountains. It is abundant renewable source, widely distributed,
clean, produces zero greenhouse gas emissionscan, and can be captured by wind turbines farms.
The wind turbine technology has gone through tremendous development the last decade with
commercial products in the capacity range from few hundred Watts up to 5 MW. Energy storage
facilities would be integrated with the Wind turbine to store excess of electricity generated during
peak production periods for use in times when the wind is still or of low speed. One form to store
electrical energy is to convert it into hydrogen by water electrolysis. Since WE is intermittent in
nature, due to the variability in wind capacity and speed, the electrolytic process will be running
under transient conditions Therefore, the objective of this project is to study the dynamic behaviour
of the wind hydrogen system. The system consists of a wind turbine, an electrolyser, hydrogen
compressor and a storage subsystem. The system operation assumes that the operation temperature
is in the range of 25-50 oC and electrolytic hydrogen is generated at the rate of 5-10 kg/ day. The
idea is to use the abundant and relatively cheap wind energy to produce cost effective electrolytic
hydrogen for use in transportation and stationary applications.

Thesis/Learning objectives
After the thesis has been performed the student should be able to:
- Conduct a literature review on wind hydrogen systems, types and characteristics
- Identify major components and how to be integrated in a workable system.
- Write simple mathematical models of the components and the integrated system.
- Use available numerical software to simulate the model and generate results.
- Discuss the obtained results and write a final report including his conclusions.

Method of attack
Set up a dynamic model of the wind hydrogen system, identify major inputs and outputs of
the system, use Matlab or Maple software to simulate the system.

Preliminary proposed time schedule, including milestones and dates for

intermediate reports
- Weeks 1 through 6: literature review on wind hydrogen systems, components
Report part 1 due at end of 6th week.
- Weeks 7 through 12: Modeling and simulation of wind hydrogen system.
Report part 2 due at end of 12th week
- Weeks 13 Through 18: Run simulation, discuss and analyze results
- Weeks 19 Through 20: Put together final report and present the project results

Supervisor at KTH, Department of Energy Technology

Dr. Nabil Kassem, nabil@energy.kth.se , 08-790 8154

Duration: 5-6 months, Start date: Open