Comparative analysis and test bench validation of energy management methods for a hybrid marine propulsion system powered by batteries and solid oxide fuel cells

Applied Energy, vol. 376, pp. 124183

Abstract

Climate protection goals and the transformation of the mobility sector are pushing the shipping industry to develop new propulsion systems emitting fewer or no greenhouse gases. One promising approach to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from ships is a hybrid propulsion system powered by fuel cells and batteries. A high-temperature solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) can supply heat and the electrical power demand in combination with a battery. Due to the low dynamic performance of the SOFC when faced with sudden load changes, a battery is responsible for providing the power for the dynamic load components. To ensure the resource-efficient operation of the propulsion components, intelligent energy management methods are required for power distribution control. Implementing a machine-learning-based energy management method based on twin-delayed deep deterministic policy gradient (TD3) improves the overall system efficiency, lifetime, and fuel economy compared to conventional energy management methods. To verify the technical feasibility of the propulsion system including its controls, the system is tested in a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) environment. By implementing the TD3-based algorithm within the energy management used on the test bench, hydrogen consumption was reduced by approximately 10% and the remaining battery capacity after five years was 6% higher in comparison to conventional energy management methods.

Authors 9

1. Cem Ünlübayir corresponding Aachen Center for Ageing Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA)

   Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Center for Ageing, Reliability and Lifetime Prediction of Electrochemical and Power Electronic Systems (CARL), RWTH Aachen University, Germany

   Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems, Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

   Juelich Aachen Research Alliance, JARA-Energy, Germany

2. Hiba Youssfi Aachen Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA)

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems, Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

3. Santiago Salas Ventura

   Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V. (DLR)

   Affiliation as printed

   German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Engineering Thermodynamics, Pfaffenwaldring 38 - 40, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany

4. Daniele Fortunati

   Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V. (DLR)

   Affiliation as printed

   German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Engineering Thermodynamics, Pfaffenwaldring 38 - 40, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany

5. Jonas Rinner Aachen Center for Ageing Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA)

   Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Center for Ageing, Reliability and Lifetime Prediction of Electrochemical and Power Electronic Systems (CARL), RWTH Aachen University, Germany

   Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems, Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

   Juelich Aachen Research Alliance, JARA-Energy, Germany

6. Martin Börner Aachen Center for Ageing Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA) Institute for Power Generation and Storage Systems (PGS)

   Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Center for Ageing, Reliability and Lifetime Prediction of Electrochemical and Power Electronic Systems (CARL), RWTH Aachen University, Germany

   Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems, Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

   Institute for Power Generation and Storage Systems (PGS), E.ON ERC, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

   Juelich Aachen Research Alliance, JARA-Energy, Germany

7. Katharina Lilith Quade Aachen Center for Ageing Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA)

   Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Center for Ageing, Reliability and Lifetime Prediction of Electrochemical and Power Electronic Systems (CARL), RWTH Aachen University, Germany

   Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems, Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

   Juelich Aachen Research Alliance, JARA-Energy, Germany

8. Florian Ringbeck Aachen Center for Ageing Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA)

   Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Center for Ageing, Reliability and Lifetime Prediction of Electrochemical and Power Electronic Systems (CARL), RWTH Aachen University, Germany

   Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems, Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

   Juelich Aachen Research Alliance, JARA-Energy, Germany

9. Dirk Uwe Sauer Aachen Center for Ageing Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA) Institute for Power Generation and Storage Systems (PGS)

   Forschungszentrum Jülich · Helmholtz-Institute Münster · Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Center for Ageing, Reliability and Lifetime Prediction of Electrochemical and Power Electronic Systems (CARL), RWTH Aachen University, Germany

   Chair for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Systems, Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

   Helmholtz Institute Münster (HI MS), IEK-12, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany

   Institute for Power Generation and Storage Systems (PGS), E.ON ERC, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

   Juelich Aachen Research Alliance, JARA-Energy, Germany