Design and simulation of hybrid solar high-temperature hydrogen production system using both solar photovoltaic and thermal energy

Hydrogen demand should significantly increase in the next few years due to rapid growth of energy demand, the refinery industry’s growing needs and applications such as biofuel production. To meet the demand advanced processes are being developed throughout the world in a sustainability context. Among the most studied ones is high temperature electrolysis of steam using solar photovoltaic and thermal energy. In this work, a large scale hybrid solar hydrogen production system was designed and optimized. The system consists of the solid oxide steam electrolysis system coupled to a Photovoltaic array through a Direct Current converter and coupled to a Parabolic Trough Collector through a heat exchanger network optimized using a Generalized Reduced Gradient algorithm. Under local tropical conditions, the theoretical production rate of hydrogen per second and per day recorded from simulation of interconnected system based on optimum scenario are respectively 0.064 kg/s and 1843.2 kg/day. The exergy efficiency, land used and water consumption of system component was also performed.