Abstract:
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The “Simulation of the cooperation of alternative sources of energy to supply electric power” has as a main objective modelling a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell in Matlab/Simulink in order to investigate its performance afterwards. Moreover, determining the delete in time from the instant in which fuel is supplied until the energy is produced is a crucial goal to be solved so that it can be decided whether the cooperation with photovoltaic cells can run without the need of an external battery or not.
Once the fuel cell has been implemented in Matlab/Simulink, the methodology to test the model is based on simulating the extremist situations in which it should work: summer and winter. Since it is desired alternative sources of energy to grow in popularity, the locations chosen for the model’s test are academic areas: an international student dormitory and a faculty of KTU.
No sooner has the PEMFC been tested, it is proved that there is no delay in time to react having as a result the justification of the cooperation with photovoltaic cells without the need of an external battery.
Finally the feasibility of the cooperation is concluded pointing out the main advantage of the clean by-products and the option to spread the knowledge about alternative energies. However, the main drawback is the hydrogen’s price, which cannot be overcome by fuel cells itself. Despite the fact that investigations have turned out to reduce the hydrogen’s consumption, a general change in the society should be made to lower the fuel’s price becoming competitive with the other fuels used nowadays. |