INTA Renewable Energy Area activities

Transcription

1 INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE TECNICA AEROESPACIAL 1. Introduction INTA Renewable Energy Area activities INTA, the National Institute for Aerospace Technology in Spain, is a public agency devoted to aerospace research and technological development. Within INTA primary missions are to provide scientific support and technical assistance to the government services and to the industry. In this context, since the early seventies, renewable and alternative energies have been one of the R&D areas in which INTA has dedicated a continuous effort. Geographical situation of INTA s facilities INTA has been working on projects in the renewable energies field since INTA's remit in this field is to conduct tests, integrate and develop renewable energybased systems and components, hydrogen and fuel-cells. Special attention is paid to low temperature thermal solar energy, solar cooling, building energy efficiency, technical and economic viability studies for wind and photovoltaic projects, hydrogen production, storage and use technologies and research, development and application in fuel-cells, in addition to industry support and standardization activities. In 1989, INTA started a program focused on the use of hydrogen as a storage medium for solar electricity in space manned missions. Since 1994, hydrogen activities were concentrated on the utilization of hydrogen in fuel cells looking for both, a non-centralized electricity generation and a clean fuel for transportation.

2 Alkaline Electrolyser Solar Hydrogen El Arenosillo (Huelva) 7.5 kwp PV Field Met. Hydrides 1 Nm 3 H 2 /h CGH 2 Storage 6 bar H 2 Storage 250 bar Fuel Cell vehicle El Arenosillo (Huelva)

3 Fuel Cell Testing Laboratory El Arenosillo (Huelva) Besides, INTA is representing Spain in the International Energy Agency Implementing Agreement on the Production and Utilization of Hydrogen In this way, given the high level of renewable energies availability in Spain, INTA is promoting the use of hydrogen as an energy carrier long-term option. The INTA's Renewable Energies Department has two laboratories, one in Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid and another in the ''El Arenosillo'' Experimentation Centre, in Huelva, in the SW of Spain. These laboratories have technical resources and skilled personnel who work in the following fields: Low temperature thermal solar energy: o Durability and reliability tests, and characterization testing of covered thermal solar collectors (flat and vacuum). o Testing and characterization of prefabricated solar systems. o Solar energy facility feasibility studies and projects. o Facility modernization and development of calculation methods. o Technical assistance for the industry in developing and improving equipment. o Assistance to institutions for representation in national and international committees. o Test benches construction advice. o Projects for the implementation of renewable energies in centres, buildings and institutions. o Standardization in the thermal solar energy field, both in Spain and overseas. o Energy efficiency in buildings: o Data recording and studies of the energy consumption of a building.

4 o Simulation of building energy performance using the TRNSYS programme. Photovoltaic solar energy: o Calculation of the energy produced by a photovoltaic facility with TRNSYS. o Technical and economic viability studies of photovoltaic plants. o Design specifications of photovoltaic solar installations. o Technical advice on the design, monitoring and evaluation of facilities. o Study of the solar reflections produced by photovoltaic panels and their interference with air navigation. Wind energy: o Weather data recording in a specific site. o Determination of the wind potential of a site. o Technical and economic feasibility studies for wind parks. o Wind park design using the WASP computer application. o Wind park design specifications for their subsequent construction. o Technical advice on the design, monitoring and evaluation of facilities. Hydrogen and fuel cell technology: o Characterization, testing and integration of PEM fuel cells in power systems and plants. o Hydrogen production system, based on reforming of diesel, ethanol, or electrolyzers. o Hydrogen storage systems, at high pressure or in metal hydrides. o Experience in testing of phosphoric acid and alkaline fuel cells. o Institutional representation on national and international committees (International Energy Agency). o Development of hydrogen technology regulations and standards and their applications. 2. Facilities and equipment The INTA's equipment and facilities includes the following: Thermal solar collectors test benches: exterior and steady state thermal efficiency, pressure loss, internal pressure of the absorber, high temperature, weather station, external thermal shock, internal thermal shock, rain penetration and mechanical loads. Prefabricated solar system test benches. Test bench for electrolyzers (coupled both to AC/DC converters and photovoltaic field) of up to 8 kw. Solar hydrogen production and storage plan. 12 kw, 4 kw and 600 W PEM fuel cell test benches. Diesel-reforming hydrogen production plants. Ethanol-reforming hydrogen production plants. 5 kw wind-driven generator. 8 kw photovoltaic field for producing hydrogen with electrolyzers. Two PEM fuel cell testing laboratories. One of them in Torrejón (Madrid) with testing capacity up to 30 kw and other one in El Arenosillo (Huelva) with several test benches in the range 10 W 12 kw (detailed description in Annex 1) Meteorological data recording stations and sensors.

5 Remote data monitoring and acquisition systems. 3. Projects in Hydrogen & Fuel cell Technologies INTA Renewable Energy Area has a wide experience in national and international projects, in collaboration with similar R&D centers and institutions, in the renewable energies and hydrogen technologies field. Some H2&FC European Projects with INTA participation: Fuel Cell Testing, Safety & Quality Assurance (FCTESQA) 6FP Innovative Transport Approach in Cities and metropolitan Areas (ITACA) - EUROPEAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND INTERREG IVC Integrated Project StorHy - 6FP Handbook for Approval of Hydrogen Refueling Stations (HyApproval) - 6FP Cluster Pilot Project for the Integration of RES into European Energy Sectors using Hydrogen (RES2H2) - 5FP

6 ANNEX 1 EL ARENOSILLO FUEL CELL TESTING LABORATORY INTA disposes in the SW of Spain of a complete PEM fuel cell testing laboratory with three PEM fuel cell test stations from different manufacturers. The laboratory is fully equipped for testing and evaluating fuel cell and hydrogen systems. Gases supply installation, data acquisition, regulation and control of operation parameters, together with the implementation of safety systems, allow the laboratory to offer the industry a service of characterization, performance or acceptance tests of fuel cell and hydrogen systems and components Apart of measurements of fuel cell performance the equipment allows long time testing, transitory studies, start-up performance and impedance spectroscopy. More than 200 tests have been performed in more than 30 different test objects (single cells, tacks and systems) during the last 3 years in the framework of Spanish and European projects and services to fuel cell manufacturers. A detailed description of the available test station at the laboratory: MEDUSA RD ELITE. This facility is devoted to fuel cells and hydrogen technologies test, covering powers up to 4000W. a) Gas Supply Gas flow rates should be metered and controlled through the use of highly accurate mass flow controllers. The Test Bench configuration will offer, at least, one standard mass flow controllers for each of the fuel and oxidant flows, for fulfilment of control accuracy. Specifications:

7 - Fuel Flow (NLPM): For the maximum power of specimen under test, in the range 0,3 to 80 Nl/min) (1:50) for hydrogen. - Oxidant Flow (NLPM): For the maximum power of specimen under test, in the range 1 to 250 Nl/min) (1:50), for air. - Purge line (nitrogen): the purge gas flow is controlled manually by rotameter located on the tests bench, the range of flow is between 0 and 40 slm. The tests bench always purges the system at the beginning of each test, in the end of each test and during the emergency shut down for the test. - Mass Flow Controller accuracy : 0.5% FS and 0.1% of actual value b) Humidification - Humidification method : Saturator - Dew-point control range: up to 90 ºC - Dew point control accuracy: +/- 1ºC (steady state) - Gas temperature range: Ambient to 130 C - Gas temperature control accuracy: +/- 1ºC (steady state) - Dry gas by-pass - Trace heating c) Pressure Stack pressure should be maintained through the use of highly accurate and extremely responsive back pressure regulators. - Electronic back pressure control - Pressure control range: 100kPa to 315 kpa. - Control stability: +/- 50mbar (steady state) - Measurement range: 0 to 315 kpa.

8 - Measurement accuracy: +/ % FS d) Coolant The test bench includes a fully controlled coolant loop for the pre-heating and control of stack temperature. This system could accept either de-ionized water or combinations of water and ethylene glycol. - Heating / Cooling Capacity: 5kW / 5kW, depends on available cooling liquid temperature, cell/stack operating temperature, maximum temperature drop inlet/outlet, temperature difference cooling liquid to operating temperature - Maximum temperature: 90 ºC - Minimum temperature: 10 degrees above cooling water temperature - Temperature accuracy: +/- 1ºC e) Electronic Load One integrated programmable electronic load. The load is controlled through the software and features constant current and voltage modes. - Electronic Load: Constant I and U mode - Maximum continuous power: 4000W - Maximum current: 600 A - Maximum voltage: 400 V - Accuracy: +/- 0,1% FS of range selected - Resolution: +/- 0,02% FS of range selected f) Cell Voltage Monitoring System The control software should provide high accuracy, real-time individual cell voltage monitoring. - Cell Voltage Monitor

9 - Number of cells: 10 - Voltage range: +/- 5.0 VDC - Accuracy: +/- 0.1% +/-1.4 mv - Sampling rate: 2ms per channel g) Safety Safety, paramount for our laboratory, must ensure the protection of our people and facilities; the test bench is equipped with the highest level of security features in the industry. The system must be incorporated multiple layers of software controlled and hard-wired safety protection. Test station includes a multistage alarm system based on the following design: Alarm level Alarm 1 Alarm 2 Alarm 3 Function Information for the operator Test item safety Test rig, facility and operator safety Acknowledgement by operator Not necessary Necessary Action Not required Stand-by operation, user defined test program or soft shutdown Necessary Emergency Shut-down Upper and lower alarm threshold limits are set by the operator based on system parameters. Alarm 2 management functions allows to the operator to readjust threshold parameters to allow the test to either continue under new operating conditions or safely go through a shut down procedure. In the case of hazardous situations for the test item, alarm level 2 allows for safe standby operation. This function allows the operator to secure valuable data after long duration testing despite a test item failure.

10 A hydrogen sensor in the waste air stream monitor the LEL-concentration and generates a shut-down in the case of actual hydrogen detection which exceeds pre-set limit values. h) Software Description The system includes software in order to upgrade and change some parameters, electronic cards, sensors and components of the system by INTA engineers. This software is implemented using National Instruments LabView, This tool is a software framework that provides an integrated application for: The control of test stations The long-term storage of data The analysis of stored log data The creation and execution of automated tests Figure. MEDUSA StackPro TM main screen. FuelCon C1000. This facility is devoted to fuel cells and hydrogen technologies test, covering powers up to 600W.

11 i) Gas Supply Gas flow rates is metered and controlled through the use of highly accurate mass flow controllers. The Test Bench configuration has one standard mass flow controllers for each of the fuel and oxidant flows, for fulfilment of control accuracy. Specific requirements: - Fuel Flow (NLPM): The required for the maximum power of specimen under test, in the range 0,2 to 10 Nl/min) (1:50) for hydrogen. - Oxidant Flow (NLPM): The required for the maximum power of specimen under test, in the range 0,4 to 20 Nl/min) (1:50), for air. - Mass Flow Controller accuracy : 0.5% FS and 0.1% of actual value j) Humidification - Humidification method : Saturator - Dew-point control range: up to 90 ºC

12 - Dew point control accuracy: +/- 1ºC (steady state) - Gas temperature range: Ambient to 130 C - Gas temperature control accuracy: +/- 1ºC (steady state) - Dry gas by-pass - Trace heating k) Pressure Stack pressure is maintained through the use of highly accurate and extremely responsive back pressure regulators. - Electronic back pressure control - Pressure control range: 1.1 to 5 bar - Control stability: +/- 50mbar (steady state) - Measurement range: 0 to 5 bar - Measurement accuracy: +/ % FS - Operation mode: Dead End/Purge l) Coolant The test bench includes a fully controlled coolant loop for the pre-heating and control of stack temperature. This system could accept either de-ionized water or combinations of water and ethylene glycol. - Heating / Cooling Capacity: 3kW / 3kW, depends on available cooling liquid temperature, cell/stack operating temperature, maximum temperature drop inlet/outlet, temperature difference cooling liquid to operating temperature - Maximum temperature: 90 ºC

13 - Minimum temperature: 10 degrees above cooling water temperature - Temperature accuracy: +/- 1ºC - Conductivity sensor: 0 to 20µS - Conductivity control method: replenishment m) Electronic Load One integrated programmable electronic load. The load is controlled through the software and features constant current and voltage modes. - Electronic Load: Constant I and U mode - Maximum continuous power: 600W - Maximum current: 100 A - Maximum voltage: 35 V - Current range (Measurement): A / 0-2,5 A auto-ranging - Accuracy: +/- 0,1% FS of range selected - Resolution: +/- 0,02% FS of range selected - Voltage range (Measurement): 0-35 V / 0-2,5 V auto-ranging - Accuracy: +/- 0,1% FS of range selected - Resolution: +/- 0,02% FS of range selected n) Cell Voltage Monitoring System The control software provides high accuracy, real-time individual cell voltage monitoring. - Cell Voltage Monitor (CVM) - Number of cells: 30

14 - Voltage range: +/- 2.5 VDC - Accuracy: +/- 0.1% +/-2.5 mv - Sampling rate: 2ms per channel o) Safety Safety, paramount for our laboratory, ensures the protection of our people and facilities, the test bench must be equipped with the highest level of security features in the industry. The system has multiple layers of software controlled and hard-wired safety protection. Test station includes a multistage alarm system based on the following design: Alarm level Alarm 1 Alarm 2 Alarm 3 Function Information for the operator Test item safety Test rig, facility and operator safety Acknowledgement by operator Not necessary Necessary Action Not required Stand-by operation, user defined test program or soft shutdown Necessary Emergency Shut-down TEST BENCH INTS. 51 ( W) Description: The test bench is intended to characterize low temperature medium-large stacks, measuring the potential of cell as function of the current density, reactants stochiometry, pressure gas feed and contaminants. It also includes testing of durability, dynamic cycles and sensitivity of its components.

15 The complete system, including sensors and actuators/regulators, humidifier, electronic load, heat exchangers and control valves is integrated into a fully open housing. A standard manifold contains hookups for hydrogen, compressed air, nitrogen, deionized water and cooling water. The test rig includes a waste water connection for the measurement of the water produced by the cell/stack. The system has several outstanding features including: - Electrical power range from 1000 W to W, (maximum voltage 100 V and maximum current 1000 A). - Temperature operation range from 20 to 100 ºC. - Fully dynamic humidifier allowing truly traceable humidification, (0-100 % Relative Humidity). - Operation range from 0 to 5 bar gauge pressure. - Rapid pressure and flow transient response even at low flow rates. - Flow range for hydrogen operation from 5 Nl/min to 500 Nl/min and Air flow range from 100 Nl/min to 1000 Nl/min. - A specific control software using the LabView tool Cell voltage monitoring and 12 channels for thermocouple type J sensors and pressure transmitters. - Integrated hydrogen leak detectors.