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Wind-to-Hydrogen Project

Wind-to-hydrogen research project continues

September 2008

The Wind-to-Hydrogen pilot project, located one mile south of Minot, ND, at North Dakota State University's (NDSU) Central Research Extension Center, has been operating for some time, but continues to experience a number of operational problems, says Randy Bush, Basin Electric's distributed resource coordinator.                             

Basin Electric was awarded three grants of approximately $500,000 each by the U.S. Department of Energy to investigate using wind generated electricity to power an electrolyzer. An electrolyzer is a commercial hydrogen generator that separates the hydrogen and oxygen contained in water. The hydrogen is then stored and used as transportation fuel. The grants were made possible through the efforts of U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND), who is a member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee.

Bush says the research is addressing two major issues concerning wind power. First, by converting the wind

Randy Bush, distributed resource coordinator

generated electrical energy to an alternative form locally; the regional transmission congestion problems are avoided. Second, since intermittent electricity is difficult to store, this research seeks to develop a storage “battery” for the wind generated energy by converting the power from its intermittent form to a value-added energy source that can be stored and used as needed.

Another goal of the research, Bush says, is to create the program and protocols to dynamically schedule electricity from the wind turbines to the electrolyzer. As electricity is produced by the wind turbines, it is being dynamically scheduled over the local transmission system in “near real time” to operate the hydrogen production site in sync with the wind generation.

"Dynamic scheduling allows the electrolyzer to draw electric energy from the grid as it is produced by the wind turbines. The electrolyzer is being ramped up and down as dictated by the wind generation output," Bush says. "This data will be valuable to determine the operational difficulties encountered by the electrolyzer as well as provide an economic model." Data on the operation and dynamic scheduling is being collected and a final report is scheduled for completion at the end of 2008.

North Dakota State University students and advisor who converted the Caterpillar Challenger tractor

Currently, Bush says the electrolyzer is being operated and producing hydrogen. A number of operating and maintenance issues with the electrolyzer, the fueling station equipment and the hydrogen-fueled vehicles are being addressed.

The hydrogen is being used in three General Motors Flexfuel trucks converted to run on 100% hydrogen (in addition to gasoline and/or E85) and a Caterpillar Challenger tractor, made to run on a 10% hydrogen fuel blend.
 
Basin Electric has been the primary sponsor of the project. 

 Other supporting sponsors and participants include AFVTech Inc., Butler Machinery Co., Central Power Electric Cooperative, the Cooperative Research Network, Electric Utility Supply Company, Hydrogenics Corp., the North Dakota (ND) Department of Commerce, ND Department of Transportation, NDSU North Central Research Extension Center, Ryan Chevrolet, the University of North Dakota Energy and Environmental Research Center, and Verendrye Electric Power Cooperative.

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