An Autonomous Solar PV/Wind/Regenerative Hydrogen Fuel Cell Energy Storage System for Cell Towers

Abstract

Mobile telephone penetration has a significant impact on growth in both the upper-low-income and the low-income countries in Africa and therefor reliable power is critical. A large number of telecommunication base stations operate on unreliable grid or no grid at all, and rely on batteries or diesel generators for primary or back-up power. This work proposes an autonomous renewable energy micro-grid, using Solar Photovoltaics and Wind Turbine to generate electricity, and a Regenerative Hydrogen Fuel Cell as energy storage system for up to 10 days. The system is validated using MATLAB/Simulink software and real-life weather data and optimized for a 25kW micro-grid near Dakar, Senegal. The simulations show a smart load-following system that instantaneously recognizes the most cost effective source of electricity to power the load. The optimized energy system consist of 20,000 kWh of hydrogen stored in AB2 Ti-based alloys. Levelised Cost of Electricity based on the outcomes of the MATLAB/Simulink model show the economic potential of an RHFC as back-up for micro-grids, allowing affordable and reliable electricity to rural areas in developing countries, with a LCOE of 10.17 ¢/kWh, RHFC is the most cost effective back-up for this application. However, the system is highly influenced by local climate; hence the LCOE and system sizing should be individually configured based on the geographical location of the planned deployment.