Dynamic Modeling of California Grid-Scale Hydrogen Energy Storage

• Published in: ECS transactions 2018-01, Vol.86 (13), p.245-258
• Main Authors: Heydarzadeh, Zahra, McVay, Derek, Flores, Robert, Thai, Clinton, Brouwer, Jack
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1938-5862; 1938-6737; 1938-6737; 1938-5862
• DOI: 10.1149/08613.0245ecst

The dynamics of hydrogen energy storage (HES) integrated with large-scale renewable power (119.5 GW) using the capabilities of the existing California natural gas infrastructure were investigated. The dynamics associated with the grid demand, renewable power, pressure, and HES capacity for one week each of November and August were analyzed in detail while a higher level analysis of the entire state for the whole year was simulated in MATLAB/Simulink. It was found that the existing natural gas storage facilities may be converted to hydrogen storage facilities to store otherwise curtailed renewable energy through solid oxide electrolysis (SOE). Moreover, Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) systems can also be used to dispatch the hydrogen back to the grid as power. The analysis in this paper shows that the dynamics of California natural gas underground storages associated with pressure and mass flow rate for achieving HES to support 100% renewable gas use are reasonable.