Intermittent operation and operation modeling of an alkaline electrolyzer

An advanced alkaline electrolyzer, developed for solar operation by the Research Centre Jülich, has been tested in various constant and intermittent operation modes for about 6000 h. Based on this wide field of operating experience, the simulation model SIMELINT (SIMulation of ELectrolyzers in INTermittent operation) has been developed, calculating thermal behavior, cell voltage, gas purities and efficiencies for any given power or current profile. The results of the calculations with the model SIMELINT are in very good correspondence with measured constant and intermittent operation data, gained at the HYSOLAR 10 kW test and research facility in Stuttgart. The code SIMELINT is a helpful tool for design and optimization of electrolyzers and for control strategies of intermittent electrolyzer operation.