In this hydrogen production facility in Germany, an alternative to the common thyristor solution was found using Emotron’s Modular Converter Solutions for Green Energy. A solution using the Emotron Active Front End (AFE) and Emotron DC/DC converter unit (DCU) allows the hydrogen-producing units much greater flexibility while maintaining very low grid disturbances.
The two cabinets that were custom-built for the production unit each contain Power Electronic Building Blocks (PEBBs). The smart electronic components look almost identical but they serve very different purposes. Some are equipped with active front-end technology, and some are DC control units.
Although the cabinet converter solution recently has been adapted to suit the hydrogen production facility, it has a high technical readiness (TRL). The individual building blocks of these products have already been used for many project cabinet installations for years.
The total solution involved Emotron products;
1x AFR69-2100
2x DCU69-1500
CG Drives & Automation has extensive application knowledge of using its converter modules for a wide variety of hybrid electric and renewable energy purposes, adapting to specific application needs.
In this instance, the cabinet build was adapted and made compact to fit the surrounding environment. As Emotron converter modules generally allow for bidirectional power flows, the addition of diodes was required to ensure that the hydrogen-producing units could not instead be turned into a power-generating fuel cell operation.
The flexible Emotron modules hold a wide variety of options, and this solution is based on ultra–slim water-cooled power modules. Even the special diodes are water-cooled. Heat losses are easily handled with a heat exchanger and there is no need for an active cooler. Given the container environment of many hydrogen-producing units, heat losses are difficult to handle any other way.
Contrary to a thyristor solution, which might not work properly in weak grids with voltage fluctuation, the Emotron Modular Converter Solution has impressive flexibility. “With this innovative solution, we do not need a stiff grid. The solution from Emotron allows great fluctuation in voltage and a much smaller short-circuit capability while maintaining a low grid disturbance of less than 5% at all times,” says Göran, Product Manager of Green Power Solutions at CG Drives & Automation.
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