ELECTROLYSER AND ENERGY SYSTEM

• US 20130317959A1
• Filed: 05/27/2013
• Published: 11/28/2013
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 10,435,800 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/34
• 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 electrolyser 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 electrolyser 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 electrolyser, 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 electrolyser is operated according to the dispatches. Hydrogen produced by the electrolyser is discharged to a natural gas system.

Claims

1. A process comprising the steps of,

a) providing an electrolyser;

b) receiving a series of dispatches indicating a specified power consumption for a period of time, the dispatches occurring at least once every 30 minutes;

c) operating the electrolyser according to the dispatches; and

,

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

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

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

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

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

6. The process of claim 1 wherein in step c) the electrolyser is operated to according to the dispatches 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 further comprising steps of,

a) injecting the hydrogen into the natural gas system at a first location;

b) measuring the amount of hydrogen injected into the natural gas system at the first location;

c) measuring an amount of natural gas withdrawn from the natural gas system by a customer at a second location; and

,

d) generating a customer invoice indicating or based on an amount of hydrogen consumption equivalent to at least a portion of the amount of natural gas withdrawn.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein the electrolyser has multiple stack assemblies each having a separate power supply and a controller adapted to operate the multiple stack assemblies at different rates of power consumption at the same time.

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

a) dividing the electrolyser into a set of discrete stack assemblies;

b) operating a first set of the discrete stack assemblies according to the dispatch orders; and

,

c) shutting down a second set of the discrete stack assemblies, placing the second set of the discrete stack assemblies into a standby mode, or operating the second set of the discrete assemblies to produce hydrogen only when the price of electricity is at or below a specified value.

10. The process of claim 9 further comprising steps of,

a) estimating a baseline power consumption required for the grid service over a period of time;

b) operating a subset of the first set of discrete stack assemblies to provide the baseline power consumption; and

,

c) operating a remaining subset of the first set of discrete stack assemblies so as to provide a varying power consumption.

11. The process of claim 1 wherein an amount of hydrogen is produced from electricity comprising electricity actually produced or deemed to have been produced from a renewable resource, and up to the amount is hydrogen is tagged as having been produced from a renewable resource.

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

a) receiving data related to a maximum amount of hydrogen that may be injected into a gas pipeline;

and,

b) doing 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 a grid operator indicating a corresponding maximum amount of hydrogen that can be produced.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the data comprises the flow rate of natural gas in the pipeline.

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

15. 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 a pipeline.

16. A method of marketing a virtual sale of hydrogen comprising the steps of,

a) consuming electricity through an electrolyser to produce hydrogen;

b) injecting the hydrogen into a natural gas system;

c) measuring the amount of hydrogen injected into the natural gas system;

d) measuring an amount of natural gas withdrawn from the natural gas system by a customer; and

,

e) invoicing the customer for an amount of hydrogen consumption equivalent to at least a portion of the amount of natural gas withdrawn.

17. The process of claim 16 wherein the electricity comprises electricity actually produced or deemed to have been produced from a renewable resource.

18. An electrolyser having a controller and an electricity meter, wherein the controller is adapted to operate a DC power supply so as to consume electricity at a pre-determined rate.

19. The electrolyser of claim 18 having multiple stack assemblies each having a separate power supply.

20. The electrolyser of claim 19 having a controller adapted to operate the multiple stack assemblies at different rates of power consumption at the same time.