About Project The project intends to explore the application of pure dc collection technology and integration in offshore wind farms and green hydrogen production. The research project is to start on January 1st, 2024 and will last four years.
FlexH2.0 is based on two key technological innovation pillars: (1) High-performance DC/DC power conversion technology and (2) a reliable control scheme for the offshore wind-to-hydrogen system. This project will explore the optimal design and control solutions for a cost-effective and reliable offshore wind-to-hydrogen system. FlexH2.0 also demonstrates the feasibility of the dc power conversion and collection technology at medium-voltage and
GW levels, boosting the application of dc technology in commercial projects.
About this positionThis PhD position aims to develop the first innovation pillar of the FlexH2.0 project, .i.e,
High-performance DC/DC power conversion technology.
In this FlexH2.0 offshore wind-to-hydrogen system, dc/dc converters play the role of energy transition from wind turbines to water electrolyzers, enabling flexible control of wind power and H2 generation. In view of this offshore application, the footprint is a key parameter that needs to be considered when designing converters, along with efficiency and reliability. Besides, to ensure the safe and reliable operation of water electrolyzers, good dynamic and wide voltage regulation abilities are also required for dc/dc converters. The performance of dc/dc power conversion stages has a direct impact on the entire offshore wind-to-hydrogen system.
The expected results of the PhD project will be as follows
- High-efficiency compact topology of high-power dc/dc converter considering load characteristics.
- Parameter design and optimization for high efficiency and compact structure considering scaling.
- Down-scale experimental verification.
The PhD candidate will collaborate closely with industrial partner Shell to address the specific challenges as follows:
1. System-level structure design and interface requirements
- Functionality design of offshore wind-to-hydrogen system with pure dc structure
- Design of system-level structure for offshore wind-to-hydrogen system
- Constraints/requirements and specifications for converter hardware design
- Verification through EMT simulation
2. Detailed Design of High-efficiency compact dc-dc converter
- Modeling load characteristics of water electrolyzers
- Review and comparison of existing dc/dc converter schemes
- Topology derivation of high-efficiency compact dc converter
- Parameter design and optimization for proposed dc converter considering scaling
- EMT simulation studies and verification
3. Experimental Verification in MV-KW FlexH2.0 Concept Demonstrator
- Parameter design of down-scale experimental dc converter prototype
- High-frequency transformer design
- Hardware design and functional debugging of the experimental prototype