Modeling and Constraint-Aware Control of Pressure Dynamics in Water Electrolysis Systems

TL;DR

This paper develops a control model and a constraint-aware power management strategy for water electrolysis systems, effectively maintaining pressure within safe limits during dynamic operation, thereby improving efficiency and safety.

Contribution

It introduces a novel model-based constraint-aware power governor using the Reference Governor framework for electrolyzers, addressing pressure constraint violations under fluctuating power conditions.

Findings

The proposed control strategy maintains pressure within operational limits.

It outperforms conventional filtering methods in pressure regulation.

The approach enhances hydrogen production efficiency and reduces energy consumption.

Abstract

This paper addresses the challenge of pressure constraint violations in water electrolysis systems operating under dynamic power conditions, a problem common to both Proton Exchange Membrane and alkaline technologies. To investigate this issue, a control-oriented model of an alkaline electrolyzer is developed, capturing key pressure and flow dynamics. To manage rapid power fluctuations that may cause pressure to exceed manufacturer-defined operational boundaries, a model-based constraint-aware power governor based on the Reference Governor (RG) framework is proposed. Simulation results show that the strategy effectively maintains pressure within the specified operating range, outperforming conventional filtering methods while enhancing hydrogen production and reducing auxiliary energy consumption.