Fuel Cell Micro-grids

Book excerpt: Fuel Cell Micro-grids describes an energy supply method based on a network of two or more proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEM-FC). Such a network enables the effective use of exhaust heat, the simplification of the transmission network, the possibility of backup during disruptive hazards and the consideration of regional factors. Furthermore, green energy and renewable energy systems can be connected to the network, to function in cooperation with the fuel cells. For these reasons, it is believed that an increasing number of applications will make use of such fuel cell energy networks. Fuel Cell Micro-grids analyses the operation plan of these new energy supply methods using genetic algorithms. The book explains the results of the analysis of the optimization operation plan, energy cost, and greenhouse gas discharge characteristics for many application cases of the fuel cell network.