Comprehensive Examination of a Green Hybrid Biomass-Integrated Compressed Air Energy Storage System with PEM Hydrogen Production Across Various Operating Modes
Pezhman Pourmadadi Golaki, Mahdi Zarnoush, Seyed Mohammad Zolfaghari, M. Soltani, Marc A. Rosen
Abstract
The shift to renewable energy is vital for creating a cleaner world and addressing the growing energy demands of modern societies. Energy storage technologies play a key role in this transition, enabling efficient integration of renewable sources. This study introduces an innovative system that uses biomass as its primary fuel and incorporates compressed air energy storage (CAES) technology to handle peak energy demand effectively. CAES is selected due to its suitability for large-scale applications. Additionally, waste heat recovery is integrated to enhance overall efficiency, enabling the simultaneous production of electricity, hydrogen, and hot water. The system is evaluated across three operational periods (off-peak, mid-peak, and peak) to ensure its adaptability and performance. It is designed to maximize resource utilization while reducing energy losses, making it a sustainable and practical solution to current energy and environmental challenges. A comprehensive evaluation encompassing energy, exergy, economic, and environmental aspects is conducted. The results show an overall system efficiency of 61 %, with CAES achieving energy and exergy round-trip efficiencies of 66.9 % and 51.3 %, respectively. The plant produces hydrogen at a rate of 5.65 g/s during mid-peak and off-peak periods, and hot water at a consistent rate of 7.8 kg/s across all operating periods. • Introducing a flexible and innovative configuration based on biomass energy and ESSs to achieve sustainable power. • Conducting a comprehensive analysis of technical, economic, and environmental aspects across various operational periods. • Utilizing waste heat recovery through the ORC and PEM units.