Joint project: MarrakEsH

Modular, renewable and self-sufficient energy supply with H2 technology? Sub-project: H-BRS: Converter and energy management for modular, renewable and self-sufficient energy supply

Hydrogen production

The consortium of the MarrakEsH joint project has set itself the goal of researching a regenerative, efficient, self-sufficient concept for the energy supply of private households, small companies, critical infrastructures (e.g. communications systems) and/or mobile emergency power systems as well as off-grid consumers and of implementing this as a demonstrator. Key elements for this are a new, modular multi-port converter based on gallium nitride power semiconductors and matching magnets, the configurable firmware for a microcontroller unit with switching frequencies in the megahertz range and an innovative hydrogen technology, consisting of a metal hydride-hydrogen storage unit including the optimized fuel cell system. In an overall system that consists of several subsystems for generating, converting and storing energy, the modular multi-port converter offers a significant reduction in the number of electrical energy conversion steps and the associated losses compared to a conventional approach. By using the metal hydride hydrogen storage, the hydrogen technology can be used safely in private households or particularly vulnerable environments without any concerns. The optimized management of the electrical and thermal energy flows in the system guarantees the availability of the required electrical energy at all times. In addition, the systematic leveraging of synergies between the subsystems allows an efficient, meaningful use of the unavoidable heat. The modular design with the latest component technology allows easy scaling and/or expansion of the system and serves to reduce maintenance effort, manufacturing costs and installation space. In the project, H-BRS is developing a laboratory sample of the DC/DC converter for the modular multi-port converter as well as the energy management for the entire system.

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