INTEGRATED POWER PRODUCTION AND STORAGE SYSTEMS
A power plant is configured to output power to a grid power system and comprises a hydrogen generation system configured to produce hydrogen, a gas turbine combined cycle power plant comprising a gas turbine engine configured to combust hydrogen from the hydrogen generation system to generate a gas stream that can be used to rotate a turbine shaft and a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) configured to generate steam with the gas stream of the gas turbine engine to rotate a steam turbine, a storage system configured to store hydrogen produced by the hydrogen generation system, and a controller configured to operate the hydrogen generation system with electricity from the grid power system when the grid power system has excess energy and balance active and reactive loads on the grid power system using at least one of the hydrogen generation system and the gas turbine combined cycle power plant.
1 . A hydrogen production system comprising:
a plurality of electrolyzers;
a controller in communication with the plurality of electrolyzers; and
memory having instructions stored therein executable by the controller to operate the plurality of electrolyzers, the instructions comprising:
receiving an instruction signal indicating a power level available to operate the plurality of electrolyzers;
operating the plurality of electrolyzers at the power level available; and
generating hydrogen gas with the plurality of electrolyzers to consume the power level available.
2 . The hydrogen production system of claim 1 , wherein receiving the instruction signal indicating the power level available comprises:
receiving the instruction signal from a grid system, the instruction signal including a command to consume excess power from the grid system.
3 . The hydrogen production system of claim 2 , further comprising monitoring the instruction signal to change power consumption of the plurality of electrolyzers responsive to the instruction signal.
4 . The hydrogen production system of claim 3 , wherein monitoring the instruction signal to change power consumption of the plurality of electrolyzers responsive to the instruction signal comprises:
receiving an instruction signal to reduce use of power from the grid system; and
reducing output of hydrogen gas from the plurality of electrolyzers.
5 . The hydrogen production system of claim 4 , wherein:
receiving the instruction signal to reduce use of power from the grid system comprises receiving an instruction signal to stop using power; and
reducing output of hydrogen gas from the plurality of electrolyzers comprises stopping output of hydrogen gas from the plurality of electrolyzers.
6 . The hydrogen production system of claim 2 , wherein the instructions further comprise:
maintaining the plurality of electrolyzers in a standby mode.
7 . The hydrogen production system of claim 6 , wherein maintaining the plurality of electrolyzers in the standby mode comprises:
maintaining a temperature of one or more of the plurality of electrolyzers at or above a minimum operating temperature.
8 . The hydrogen production system of claim 7 , wherein maintaining the plurality of electrolyzers in the standby mode comprises:
heating the one or more of the plurality of electrolyzers using heat from a heat recovery steam generator.
9 . The hydrogen production system of claim 7 , wherein maintaining the plurality of electrolyzers in the standby mode comprises:
heating the one or more of the plurality of electrolyzers using heat from an industrial heat process; or
heating the one or more of the plurality of electrolyzers using heat from a power conversion device connecting the plurality of electrolyzers to the grid system.
10 . The hydrogen production system of claim 7 , wherein maintaining the plurality of electrolyzers in the standby mode comprises:
utilizing heat from an operating electrolyzer of the plurality of electrolyzers to pre-heat a non-operating electrolyzer of the plurality of electrolyzers.
11 . A method of operating a hydrogen production facility, the method comprising:
operating an electrolyzer system to create additional power demand from a grid system;
generating hydrogen gas with the electrolyzer system to consume power from the grid system; and
monitoring for an instruction signal indicating changes in excess power capacity.
12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
maintaining the electrolyzer system in a standby mode by maintaining a temperature of the electrolyzer system at or above a minimum operating temperature.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein maintaining the electrolyzer system in the standby mode comprises:
heating the electrolyzer system using heat from a heat recovery steam generator.
14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein maintaining the electrolyzer system in the standby mode comprises:
utilizing heat from one or more operating electrolyzers of the electrolyzer system to pre-heat one or more non-operating electrolyzer of the electrolyzer system.
15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein operating the electrolyzer system to use excess power capacity from the grid system comprises:
consuming power from the grid system to match a renewable energy producer going online due to weather.
16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein operating the electrolyzer system to use excess power capacity from the grid system comprises:
consuming power from the grid system generated by a nuclear power plant or a gas turbine engine power plant operating at steady state and made available due to a large commercial or industrial consumer going offline.
17 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving an instruction signal to reduce or stop using power from the grid system; and
turning down output or stopping operation of the electrolyzer system.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein receiving the instruction signal to reduce using power from the grid system comprises:
reducing power consumption to match a renewable energy producer going offline due to weather.
19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein receiving the instruction signal to reduce using power from the grid system comprises:
consuming power from the grid system made available due to a large commercial or industrial consumer going online and a nuclear power plant or a gas turbine engine power plant being offline.
20 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising storing the hydrogen gas in a storage system.