Ecosense Installs Fuel Cell Training System and Thermal Energy Storage system at Department of Mechanical Engineering, Delhi Technological University.
Delhi Technological University is one of the Premier Engineering colleges of India with focus on Research. Their mission is to establish centres of excellence in emerging areas of science, engineering, technology, management and allied areas.
With this mission in mind Department of Mechanical Engineering, Delhi Technological University established a Renewable Energy lab that includes a Fuel Cell Training System, Thermal Energy Storage System and a Solar PV Training and Research system installed by Ecosense Sustainable Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
Ecosense’s Fuel Cell Training System
Ecosense’s Fuel Cell Training system is a standalone Fuel Cell system, with the output of fuel cell connected to a charge controller. Charge Controller is further connected to a battery bank, an inverter and AC and DC Loads.
The Fuel Cell stack runs on dry hydrogen with 99.995% purity. It receives dry hydrogen from the hydrogen gas cylinder. The generated power can be used directly by a DC Load but as per the V-I characteristics, the voltage reduces as we increase the load, therefore, the power generated by fuel cell system cannot be used directly hence the output is connected to a charge controller which charges the battery and maintain output as per the battery voltage. The battery bank is further connected to an Inverter so that AC loads can be connected to the system.
Learning Outcomes of Ecosense’s Fuel Cell Training System
• Draw Characteristics of fuel cell with the help of resistive load or DC-DC converter• Output power variation of fuel cell with change in Hydrogen supply
• Evaluate Fuel cell system performance with only DC load connected to the charge controller with battery bank
• Evaluate Fuel cell System performance with only AC load connected to the inverter with battery bank
• Evaluate Output power variation of the fuel cell with a change in temperature.
Advantages of the Fuel Cell Training System
Apart from the standard learning outcomes, a user can also explore the following research options with the system:
• System can be developed as a grid-connected system
• System can be developed as a hybrid grid-connected system
• Using Power Electronics converters instead of the charge controller and inverter, the user can test MPPT algorithms and different control algorithms.
Ecosense’s Thermal Energy Storage System
The thermal energy storage (TES) can be defined as the temporary storage of thermal energy at high or low temperatures. The TES is not a new concept, and at has been used for centuries. Energy storage can reduce the time or rate mismatch between energy supply & demand and it plays an important role in energy conservation. Energy storage improves performance of energy systems by smoothing supply and increasing reliability. For example, storage would improve the performance of a power generating plant by load leveling. The higher efficiency would lead to energy conservation and improve cost effectiveness. Some of the renewable energy sources can only provide energy intermittently. Although the sun provides an abundant, clean and safe source of energy, the supply of this energy is periodic following yearly and diurnal cycles; it is intermittent, often unpredictable and diffused. Its density is low compared with the energy flux densities found in conventional fossil energy devices like coal or oil-fired furnaces. The demand for energy, on the other hand, is also unsteady following yearly and diurnal cycles for both industrial and personal needs. Therefore, the need for the storage of solar energy cannot be avoided.
This system has been designed to perform TES related experiment by using PCM materials. As there are several types of PCM, the system has been designed to perform experiment with at least two PCM separately. Provision is also kept to examine the combine (known as cascading) effect of two PCMs in thermal energy storage. To visualize the phase changes in the material another set of arrangement are there in the system.
Learning Outcomes of Ecosense’s Thermal Energy Storage System
• Experiment on PCM-1 (paraffin based)• Experiment on PCM-2 (fatty acid based)
• Experiment on PCM-1 and PCM-2 in series combination (cascading system)
• Experiment on PCM-1 (paraffin based) at different HTF flow rate during charging and discharging
• Experiment on PCM-2 (fatty acid based) at different HTF flow rate during charging and discharging
• Experiment on PCM-1 and PCM-2 in series combination (cascading system) with different HTF flow rate during charging and discharging
• Experiment on PCM-1 (paraffin based) with different HTF temperature during charging
• Experiment on PCM-2 (fatty acid based) at different HTF temperature during charging
• Experiment on PCM-1 and PCM-2 in series combination (cascading system) at different HTF temperature during charging
Advantages of Ecosense’s Thermal Energy Storage System
Apart from the standard learning outcomes, a user can also explore the following research options with the system:
• Performance analysis of paraffin wax based latent heat thermal energy storage systems with different heat exchangers: an experimental study
• Experimental study of a latent heat thermal energy storage system with different types of insulation (PUF, Rockwool and Glass-wool) having Paraffin wax and Organic mixtures in series combination (cascading)
• Experimental study of latent heat thermal energy storage system with multiple PCMs in series combination
• Performance analysis of a Fatty acid based thermal energy storage system with different insulating materials: An experimental study
• Performance behavior of fatty acid based thermal energy storage system with and without aluminum additive: An experimental study
• Experimental analysis of a multiple PCM based LHTES system with three different types of heat exchangers and solar parabolic trough collector as a source of heat
• Experimental study of a small scale solar parabolic trough collector and latent heat thermal energy storage combine system with multiple PCMs in a storing unit
Fig. 1 Masters Training Conducted at DTU
Master’s Training Conducted
After successful installation of systems, 2-day master’s training program is conducted. This master’s training was focused on how to efficiently utilize the system in core-curriculum development and practical experimentations.
Program Outcomes
The faculty members and students really enjoyed our two-day training programme and loved to work on our lab equipment. Professors will further conduct experiments on the system to understand it more deeply and incorporate this lab set up as part of their regular curriculum.