Modeling and sizing of combined fuel cell-thermal solar system for energy generation

The energy crisis impact is increasing at all levels and then requires a quick sustainable and robust response. The last two decades have witnessed huge efforts to find solutions that can be classified within two classes: renewable energy and energy recovery. Abundant researches have been dedicated to find carbon dioxide-free energy sources. Fuel Cell (FC) is one of the most promising solutions. It is fed by hydrogen and generates electricity without any carbon dioxide emissions. The hydrogen is supplied by an electrolyzer that requires an electrical current to decompose the water into hydrogen and oxygen. This paper aims at proposing a coupled system of hydrogen and solar energy. The solar thermal system is used as an energy source to supply the electrolyzer. The modeling of the FC and the Thermal Solar System (TSS) are comprehensively presented. A case study for a stand-alone system that supplies 3 kW in Beirut City is studied. Through the simulation results, the power over the year as well as the relevant number of mirrors needed to cover the power demand are properly calculated. For instance, 80 mirrors are needed in August 1st to provide 3 kW whereas 367 mirrors are required to provide the same load in January 1st.