Page 16 - Introduction to Transfer Phenomena in PEM Fuel Cells

Introduction to Hydrogen Technology 5
Hydrogen technologies applied to wind systems are still in the research
and development stage. They are confined to small-scale applications. This
energy sector can be considered as one of the most competitive energy
markets once it is used as a primary energy for various mobile applications.
The coupling of wind energy and the production of hydrogen are considered
as a means of energy storage with several advantages.
First, using hydrogen as an energy vector while taking into account safety
aspects is already understood, thanks to the numerous applications in
chemistry. Hydrogen is also well suited for seasonal energy storage without
energy loss over time. Still, water electrolyzers are able to process power
fluctuations due to the intermittent nature of wind energy. Finally, wind–
hydrogen systems have the potential for high-density energy storage with
low operating and maintenance costs [GUP 08].

In Germany, the installation of the Prenzlau hybrid power plant is a real
example to follow; it will not be long before the citizens become familiar
with the expression “I go to the pump, to fill up the wind, 50 liters …”. A
utopia? No, this is the first industrial hybrid plant in the world.

This project was supported by the German Chancellor Angela Merkel
who laid the first stone on 21 April 2009 in Prenzlau near Berlin (see
Figure 1.4).

Figure 1.4. The electrolyzer of the Prenzlau power plant [MIS 13]