Electrolyser and energy system

• US 10,435,800 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2013
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hydrogenics Corporation (Cummins Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Hydrogenics Corporation (Cummins Incorporated)
• Inventors: Joos, Nathaniel Ian, Cargnelli, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Frenel, Vanel
• Application Number:
  US13/902,927
• Publication Number:
  US 20130317959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,325 Days
• Field of Search: 705 34, 705412, 705 35, 705 39, 705 40, 2042281, 205335, 205637, 290 53, 166268
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/04 by electrolysis of water
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 15/02 Process control or regulation
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 9/17 Cells comprising dimensionally-stable non-movable electrodes; Assemblies of constructional parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 9/70 Assemblies comprising two or more cells
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/36 Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/133 Renewable energy sources, e.g. sunlight
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/33 using wind energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/37 using solar energy

Abstract

An electrolyzer operates within an energy system, for example to provide grid services, energy storage or fuel, or to produce hydrogen from electricity produced from renewable resources. The electrolyzer may be configured to operate at frequently or quickly varying rates of electricity consumption or to operate at a specified power consumption. In one process of operating an electrolyzer, a series of dispatches is received indicating a specified power consumption for a period of time. The dispatches may occur at least once every 30 minutes. The electrolyzer is operated according to the dispatches. Hydrogen produced by the electrolyzer is discharged to a natural gas system.

Claims

1. A process comprising the steps of,

a) providing an electrolyser in communication with a controller;

b) receiving a series of dispatch orders from a grid operator of an electrical grid indicating a specified power consumption for a period of time, the dispatch orders occurring at least once every 30 minutes;

c) controlling the electrolyser according to the dispatch orders such that the electrolyser consumes the specified power consumption for the period of time indicated in the dispatch orders; and

,

d) discharging hydrogen produced during step c) to a natural gas system.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the dispatch orders occur at least once every 10 minutes.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein step c) comprises operating the electrolyser according to the dispatch orders within a specified tolerance.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein step d) comprises converting the hydrogen into methane before discharging it into the natural gas system.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the electrolyser has an electricity meter, and wherein in step c) the electrolyser is controlled to operate a DC power supply so as to consume the power at a pre-determined rate.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein in step c) the electrolyser is controlled according to the dispatch orders as part of an aggregation of i) multiple electrolysers or ii) at least one electrolyser and at least one other variable load.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein the electrolyser has multiple stack assemblies each having a separate power supply and in step c) the controller controls the multiple stack assemblies to operate at different rates of power consumption at the same time.

8. The process of claim 1 further comprising steps of,

a) receiving, at the controller, data related to a maximum amount of hydrogen that may be injected into the natural gas system;

and,

b) performing, via the controller, one or more of i) controlling the electrolyser to consume no more than an amount of electricity that will produce the maximum amount of hydrogen, (ii) venting excess hydrogen and (iii) sending a signal to the grid operator indicating a corresponding maximum amount of hydrogen that can be produced.

9. The process of claim 8 wherein the data comprises the flow rate of natural gas in the natural gas system.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein the electrolyser has multiple stack assemblies that vent upwards to shared gas separators.

11. The process of claim 1 comprising steps of,

a) withdrawing natural gas from the natural gas system;

b) measuring the concentration of hydrogen in natural gas withdrawn from the natural gas system; and

,

c) producing a gas mixture with a specified hydrogen concentration by i) adding hydrogen to the natural gas or ii) blending the natural gas with a hydrogen enriched mixture of hydrogen and natural gas withdrawn from the natural gas system.

12. An electrolyser having a controller, an electricity meter, and multiple stack assemblies each having a separate DC power supply, wherein the controller is adapted to operate the DC power supplies so as to cause the multiple stack assemblies to consume power at different rates at the same time to collectively consume electricity at a pre-determined rate.