Controlling the frequency of power systems with high wind power penetration is more difficult due to the high variability of the wind power. One possible mainstream energy carrier in the future, particularly for the transportation sector, is Hydrogen, and water electrolysis is one of the most attractive ways to produce it. In this study, a detailed model of a steam turbine generator has been produced in MATLAB Simulink and used to investigate a scenario in which there is a 25% penetration of wind power. To improve the frequency stability of the power system, large scale alkaline electrolysers used in future Hydrogen filling stations could adjust their load with respect to the frequency deviation from nominal and can significantly reduce fluctuations in system frequency. For the case examined, five times less spinning reserve is required in order to maintain the power system frequency within operational limits when electrolysers are utilised as a form of demand side management (DSM), compared to the base case where no electrolyser DSM plant is available. Actual operational data from a pressurised alkaline electrolyser is used to evidence the fast load changing capability of such electrolysers.

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Copper foam was used as a catalyst in ethanol dehydrogenation to acetaldehyde. Catalyst pretreatment, reaction temperature, liquid feed composition, and catalyst loading all affect ethanol conversion. Copper foam pretreated by oxidation yielded the highest ethanol conversion but deactivated due to copper surface reconstruction. The foam catalyst can be repeatedly reactivated by a short time exposure to air under reaction conditions. Yet, copper foam performance for ethanol dehydrogenation has been inferior in terms of activity and stability to that of supported copper catalysts.

Hydrogen could become an important energy carrier, in particular used as an input to fuel cell electric vehicles. Alkaline electrolysers are an attractive technology to produce carbon-free hydrogen from renewable generated electricity. Largescale alkaline electrolysers used in future hydrogen-filling stations could also be utilised to improve the frequency stability of the electricity power system. The electrolyser load can be controlled to respond to power system frequency variations, and in the case of a sudden loss of generation, these electrolysers could rapidly decrease their load on the system to maintain the power balance. In this study, the potential of alkaline electrolysers to dynamically stabilise the frequency of the power system is assessed. A model of steam turbine generation unit has been developed in MATLAB SIMULINK environment, and a scenario in which there is a sudden loss of generation in the system is examined. It is demonstrated that alkaline electrolysers could prevent unacceptable frequency drop, i.e. below the statutory limit, following by an abrupt loss of generation, even with no spinning reserve on the system. In this article for the first time, the ramping rate of an alkaline electrolyser is shown through experimental data.

Ethanol steam reforming is a promising reaction for producing fuel cell hydrogen. Depending on catalyst and reaction conditions, mixtures of condensable hydrocarbons and organic and inorganic gases are produced. This paper proposes an economic and effective solution for separating and detecting these compounds employing a gas chromatograph equipped with two columns, two 6-way valves, and two detectors.