Ushnik Mukherjee

Shared and practical approach to conserve utilities in eco-industrial parks

Abstract Conserving utilities in an eco-industrial park (EIP) by exploiting the synergistic heating/cooling needs of its inhabitants can have significant economic and environmental benefits. However, a successful implementation of an EIP-wide heat integration involves much more than the simple minimization of utility usage. Like any collaborative endeavour involving independent and diverse profit-making enterprises, an EIP-wide heat integration faces several real and practical challenges such as exchanger locations, stream transports over long distances, etc. In this work, we propose a mixed-integer nonlinear programming model (MINLP) for configuring an EIP-wide multi-enterprise heat exchanger network (HEN). We propose a practical and rational strategy that (1) considers all the major capital and operating costs, and utility savings, (2) selects an optimum HEN location with the highest net present value, (3) uses a third-party logistics provider for managing and operating the HEN, and (4) ensures an identical rate of return on investment for all participating enterprises.

Power-to-gas in a demand-response market

Power-to-gas is a versatile and effective form of energy storage by which electrolysis generates hydrogen. The produced hydrogen thus becomes an alternative energy vector, which can be contained within the natural gas energy infrastructure or other storage medium. By means of the rapid response of polymer electrolyte membrane electrolysers, Power-to-Gas can also use natural gas energy storage to offer auxiliary and regulatory power services of high value, as well as energy transformation. A General Algebraic Modelling Simulation illustrates the effectiveness of Power-to-Gas in offering green hydrogen while also performing Demand-Response ancillary services.

Power-to-gas to meet transportation demand while providing ancillary services to the electrical grid

Power-to-gas is a versatile and effective form of energy storage by which electrolysis generates hydrogen. The produced hydrogen thus becomes an alternative energy vector, which can be contained within the natural gas infrastructure or other storage medium. By means of the rapid response of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyzers, Power-to-Gas is also able to offer important and high value auxiliary and regulatory power services, as well as energy transformation. In this paper, the authors use the General Algebraic Modeling Simulation to develop a simulation of a 2MW Power-to-Gas system that produces hydrogen to meet the demand of a hydrogen fueling station, while providing ancillary service to the electrical grid.

Optimization of renewable powered hydrogen micro-grid; taking in to account economic criteria

In this paper, a renewable hydrogen powered micro-grid is developed that is capable of supporting a community in islanded mode or while the macro grid is active. To accomplish this task, different renewable energy based technologies, such as Solar PVs, wind turbines, electrolysers, hydrogen tanks and fuel cells are considered. The energy hub approach is used for the modeling, which enables the provision of smart grid services and allows the management of both the energy generation and the energy loads of an entire community. As a case study, a community consisting of a large distribution center and a residential complex is considered. The micro grid is responsible for meeting the electricity demands of the community as well as supplying hydrogen for the forklifts and hydrogen vehicles. The hydrogen can be used directly as fuel for a fuel cell forklift, or vehicle, and for the generation of electricity via vehicles for the bi-directional grid connection, which allows the option to supply electricity during peak hours by means of stored hydrogen energy. The objective of this work is to find the optimum size of the different renewable technologies for the micro-grid considering economic criteria.

Power-to-Gas: A New Energy Storage Concept for Integration of Future Energy Systems

Power-to-gas is a novel energy storage concept that can help in providing energy storage and offer a sustainable and efficient alternative ways to utilize the surplus electricity generated by the provincial grid of Ontario, Canada. This situation of “surplus electricity” also exists elsewhere as there is increasing intermittent renewable power on various grids. The ability of the power-to-gas energy hubs to utilize the existing natural gas distribution and storage network to distribute and store the electrolytic hydrogen produced is one of its major advantages. In this chapter, after explaining about the importance, different applicable pathways of power-to-gas are explained. Technical and economic aspects of each pathway are investigated.

Market mechanisms in power-to-gas systems

Power-to-gas is a versatile and effective form of energy storage by which hydrogen is generated by electrolysis. The produced hydrogen is an alternative energy vector, which can be contained within the natural gas infrastructure or other storage. By means of the rapid response of Proton Exchange Membrane electrolysers, Power-to-Gas also offers important auxiliary and regulatory power services. A MATLAB simulation illustrates that the use of pre-existing market mechanisms for the operating cost of electricity and the sale of hydrogen provide a return on investment as well as emissions reductions. These results suggest that market mechanisms may be sufficient to aid in the adoption of Power-to-Gas and should be the focus of future legislation.