EP-4738635-A1 - CONTROLLING AN ELECTROLYZING PLANT HAVING AT LEAST TWO ELECTROLYZING DEVICES

EP4738635A1EP 4738635 A1EP4738635 A1EP 4738635A1EP-4738635-A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling an electrolyzing plant (10) having at least two electrolyzing devices (14, 16, 32, 38), wherein the electrolyzing plant is supplied with electric energy from an electric power network (12), wherein the electric power network provides an alternating voltage having a basic frequency, wherein an AC side of an electric converter (20, 22, 24, 26) is electrically connected with the electric power network, and a DC side of the electric converter provides a DC electrolyzing voltage. According to the invention, a sensed frequency of the basic frequency is compared with a predetermined frequency range (76), and, depending on comparing, an operating status of the at least two electrolyzing devices is stored if the basic frequency leaves the predetermined frequency range, in order to allow the operation of the respective one of the at least two electrolyzing devices being resumed.

Inventors

SCHUMANN, SVEN
Buratckii, Artem
Langenberg, Nils
Bendig, Marvin
Wall, Dirk
CRACIUN, BOGDAN
LOKU, Fisnik

Assignees

Siemens Energy Global GmbH & Co. KG

Dates

Publication Date: 20260506
Application Date: 20241031

Claims (12)

A method for controlling an electrolyzing plant (10) having at least two electrolyzing devices (14, 16, 32, 38), especially configured to electrolyze water by providing an electrolyzing process, wherein the at least two electrolyzing devices (14, 16, 32, 38) perform the electrolyzing process in response to being subjected to a DC electrolyzing voltage, wherein the electrolyzing plant (10) is supplied with electric energy from an electric power network (12), wherein the electric power network (12) provides an alternating voltage having a basic frequency, wherein an AC side of at least one electric converter (20, 22, 24, 26) of the electrolyzing plant (10) is electrically connected with the electric power network (12) in order to be subjected to the alternating voltage, and a DC side of at least one electric converter (20, 22, 24, 26) provides the DC electrolyzing voltage in response to the AC side being subjected to the alternating voltage, wherein the basic frequency is sensed by a frequency sensor (40), characterized in that the sensed frequency is compared with a predetermined frequency range (76) for the basic frequency, wherein the predetermined frequency range (76) is delimited by an upper frequency value (74) and a lower frequency value (72) being smaller than the upper frequency value (74), and, depending on comparing, an operating status of at least one of the at least two electrolyzing devices (14, 16, 32, 38) is stored if the basic frequency leaves the predetermined frequency range (76), in order to allow the operation of the respective one of the at least two electrolyzing devices (14, 16, 32, 38) being resumed according to the stored operating status if the basic frequency reaches the predetermined frequency range (76) again.
The method according to claim 1, characterized in that an on-load-tap-changer (28) is adjusted depending on comparing.
The method according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that the operating status includes a standby state that allows for fast or immediate resumption of the at least one electrolyzing device,
The method according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that a variation of a value of the basic frequency is monitored at least when the value of the basic frequency is in the predetermined frequency range (76), and, dependent on a direction of the variation, storing of the operation, and especially, adjusting the on-load-tap-changer (28), is prepared.
The method according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that , dependent on comparing, a consumed power of at least one of the at least two electrolyzing devices (14, 16, 32, 38) is adjusted.
The method according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that , dependent on comparing, operation of a peripheral support device (52) of the respective one of the at least two electrolyzing devices (14, 16, 32, 38) is at least partially adjusted.
The method according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that a power variation of the electrolyzing plant (10) is determined, and an event operating status for the electrolyzing plant (10) is determined depending on the determined power variation.
The method according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that , in the event that the basic frequency has left the predetermined frequency range (76), a current control action of a control station of the electrolyzing plant (10) is at least partially blocked.
The method according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that the method is at least partially executed by a control apparatus (68) of the at least one electric converter (20, 22, 24, 26).
The method according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that the operation of the respective one of the at least two electrolyzing devices (14, 16, 32, 38) is resumed only dependent on a release signal provided by a control station of the electrolyzing plant (10) or by a control center of the electric power network (12).
An apparatus (42) for controlling an electrolyzing plant (10) having at least two electrolyzing devices (14, 16, 32, 38), especially configured to electrolyze water by providing an electrolyzing process, wherein the at least two electrolyzing devices (14, 16, 32, 38) perform the electrolyzing process in response to being subjected to a DC electrolyzing voltage, wherein the electrolyzing plant (10) is supplied with electric energy from an electric power network (12), wherein the electric power network (12) provides an alternating voltage having a basic frequency, wherein the apparatus (42) is configured to be connected with at least one electric converter (20, 22, 24, 26) of the electrolyzing plant (10), wherein the at least one electric converter (20, 22, 24, 26) has an AC side which is electrically connected with the electric power network (12) in order to be subjected to the alternating voltage, and a DC side which provides the DC electrolyzing voltage in response to the AC side being subjected to the alternating voltage, wherein the apparatus (42) is configured to be connected with a frequency sensor (40) for sensing the basic frequency, characterized in that the apparatus (42) is configured to - compare the sensed frequency with a predetermined frequency range (76) for the basic frequency, wherein the predetermined frequency range (76) is delimited by an upper frequency value (74) and a lower frequency value (72) being smaller than the upper frequency value (74), and, - depending on comparing, store an operating status of at least one of the at least two electrolyzing devices (14, 16, 32, 38) if the basic frequency leaves the predetermined frequency range (76), in order to allow the operation of the respective one of the at least two electrolyzing devices (14, 16, 32, 38) being resumed according to the stored operating status if the basic frequency reaches the predetermined frequency range (76) again.
An electrolyzing plant (10) configured to be supplied with electric energy from an electric power network (12), wherein the electric power network (12) provides an alternating voltage having a basic frequency, wherein the electrolyzing plant (10) has - at least two electrolyzing devices (14, 16, 32, 38), especially configured to electrolyze water by providing an electrolyzing process, wherein the at least two electrolyzing devices (14, 16, 32, 38) perform the electrolyzing process in response to being subjected to a DC electrolyzing voltage, wherein an AC side of at least one electric converter (20, 22, 24, 26) of the electrolyzing plant (10) is electrically connected with the electric power network (12) in order to be subjected to the alternating voltage, and a DC side of at least one electric converter (20, 22, 24, 26) provides the DC electrolyzing voltage in response to the AC side being subjected to the alternating voltage, - at least one frequency sensor (40) configured to sense the basic frequency, characterized in that the electrolyzing plant (10) is configured to - compare the sensed frequency with a predetermined frequency range (76) for the basic frequency, wherein the predetermined frequency range (76) is delimited by an upper frequency value (74) and a lower frequency value (72) being smaller than the upper frequency value (74), and, - depending on comparing, store an operating status of at least one of the at least two electrolyzing devices (14, 16, 32, 38) if the basic frequency leaves the predetermined frequency range (76), in order to allow the operation of the respective one of the at least two electrolyzing devices (14, 16, 32, 38) being resumed according to the stored operating status if the basic frequency reaches the predetermined frequency range (76) again.

Description

The invention relates to a method for controlling an electrolyzing plant having at least two electrolyzing devices, especially configured to electrolyze water by providing an electrolyzing process, wherein the at least two electrolyzing devices perform the electrolyzing process in response to being subjected to a DC electrolyzing voltage, wherein the electrolyzing plant is supplied with electric energy from an electric power network, wherein the electric power network provides an alternating voltage having a basic frequency, wherein an AC side of at least one electric converter of the electrolyzing plant is electrically connected with the electric power network in order to be subjected to the alternating voltage, and a DC side of at least one electric converter provides the DC electrolyzing voltage in response to the AC side being subjected to the alternating voltage, wherein the basic frequency is sensed by a frequency sensor. The invention also relates to an apparatus for controlling an electrolyzing plant having at least two electrolyzing devices, especially configured to electrolyze water by providing an electrolyzing process, wherein the at least two electrolyzing devices perform the electrolyzing process in response to being subjected to a DC electrolyzing voltage, wherein the electrolyzing plant is supplied with electric energy from an electric power network, wherein the electric power network provides an alternating voltage having a basic frequency, wherein the apparatus is configured to be connected with at least one electric converter of the electrolyzing plant, wherein the at least one electric converter has an AC side which is electrically connected with the electric power network in order to be subjected to the alternating voltage, and a DC side which provides the DC electrolyzing voltage in response to the AC side being subjected to the alternating voltage, wherein the apparatus is configured to be connected with a frequency sensor for sensing the basic frequency. Methods for controlling electrolyzing plants, for instance, for producing hydrogen and oxygen by electrolyzing of water in an electrolyzing process, apparatuses for controlling electrolyzing plants, and electrolyzing plants are well known in the state of the art, which is why specific references about the state of the art need not to be cited. The invention relates to objects providing an electrolyzing process, which are used, for example, for producing hydrogen and oxygen by electrolyzing of water. The following considerations can be also applied to such electrolyzing processes, respectively. Electrolysis itself is provided by the at least two electrolyzing devices of the electrolyzing plant, which, in turn, comprise usually plural electrolyzing cells arranged in the at least two electrolyzing devices. A group of the electrolyzing cells of a specific electrolyzing device may be arranged such as to form an electrolyzing module. One or more electrolyzing modules may form the electrolyzing device. The electrolyzing cells of a specific electrolyzing device or a specific electrolyzing module, respectively, may be electrically connected at least partially in series and/or in parallel. An electric connection of the electrolyzing device may be provided such that at least some, or perhaps all, of the electrolyzing cells are subjected to a respective portion of a DC voltage or the DC electrolyzing voltage, respectively, subjected to the electrolyzing device. The operation of generic electrolyzing cells as well as electrolyzing devices, for instance, for the use of electrolyzing of water, are well-known to those skilled in the art, such as, for instance, disclosed by DE 197 29 529 C1. The generic function of electrolysis, especially electrolysis of water, is also well known to those skilled in the art, which is why it is refrained from further detailed explanation in this specification. An electrolyzing device has at least one single electrolyzing cell. However, a common design of an electrolyzing device requires that the specific electrolyzing device has a plurality of electrolyzing cells. During the electrolyzing process, when the electrolyzing device is subjected to the suited DC electrolyzing voltage, the electrolyzing device responds with an electrolyzing DC current flow. Especially with regard to the electrolyzing of water, during the electrolyzing process, water is consumed, and hydrogen and oxygen are produced. A value of the DC electrolyzing voltage usually may depend on the number of electrolyzing cells being connected in series inside of the at least one electrolyzing device. Generally, the electrolyzing cells of one electrolyzing device are usually connected in series. Therefore, the DC current flow may depend on the applied DC voltage and the characteristics of the electrolyzing cells such as, for instance, electrical resistance, electrical impedance, aging and/or the like, of the series-connected electrolyzing cells. However, in