At Novosibirsk State Technical University (NSTU) is developing a model for optimizing the operating modes of autonomous energy supply systems that are based on hydrogen technologies to ensure the energy sustainability in the Arctic.
The Arctic is a region with huge potential for oil and gas production, and the development of this territory is strategically important for the country's economy. Since many Arctic offshore fields are significantly remote from the coastline (65-200 km or more), transmission of electricity via transmission lines is complicated. Renewable energy sources such as wind and solar installations are not stable enough due to the climatic features of the region. Therefore, one of the promising options for power supply to underwater mining complexes is the creation of autonomous power sources, the operation of which will not depend on the availability of a resource base or weather conditions, according to scientists at NSTU-NETI.
"Efficient sources of energy supply are needed for the active development of the Arctic territories. We have considered the possibility of using natural gas-based hydrogen in fuel cells in decentralized electricity and heat supply systems. Hydrogen technologies based on fuel cells represent a worthy alternative to traditional generating sources — they are environmentally friendly and energy efficient. In addition, there is a wide variety of ways to produce the main reagent (hydrogen) based on both organic fuels and carbon—free technologies," said Tatiana Mutezh, Associate Professor of the Department of Power Supply Systems at NSTU-NETI, Candidate of Technical Sciences.
An optimization model based on the equality of marginal incomes to marginal costs was developed, and a comparative analysis of the energy efficiency of fuel cells in decentralized and centralized energy supply systems was carried out based on a number of parameters: total energy consumption, comparison of CO2 emissions, and payback period of technologies.
As Tatiana Mutezh notes, the construction of the marginal cost curve is based on energy characteristics, and by multiplying them by the price of fuel (in this case, fuel cells), a graph of energy characteristics was obtained. Based on the graph of electricity demand, a marginal income curve was built. When the two curves intersect, the optimal operating mode is obtained in a competitive market, which allows us to determine the optimal selling price of an energy resource. The use of hydrogen technologies based on fuel cells as alternatives to traditional generating sources makes it possible to increase the power utilization factor by 30% (which makes it possible to save on fuel), and the investment attractiveness of an energy facility increases. In addition, replacing traditional energy sources with renewable ones also reduces environmental risks.
Based on the data obtained, the scientists determined the conditions for the competitiveness of the new technology in comparison with centralized and decentralized systems based on mini-CHP plants with gas turbine or gas piston engines.
The innovation of the research is the application of a synergetic approach, which provides a comprehensive solution to the problem based on a combination of reliability, technological, socio-economic, and environmental criteria.