H YS Y D A YS – 3R D W O R L D C O N G R E SS O F Y O U N G S C I E N T I S T S O N H Y D R O G E N E N E R G Y SYS T E M S

A Stand-Alone Mobile House using PV/Wind/Fuel Cell Hybrid Power System

Mehmed Eroglu*

Gokhan Kepoglu*

Suat Sevencan*

Suha Yazici*
*International Centre for Hydrogen Energy Technologies (UNIDO-ICHET)
Sabri Ulker Sk. 38/4 Cevizlibag, Zeytinburnu 34015
Istanbul, Turkey

Erkan Dursun
Marmara University
Goztepe Campus 34722
Istanbul,Turkey

Junseok Song
The University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station C2100
Austin, TX 78712, USA

A BST R A C T
A photovoltaic/wind/fuel cell hybrid power system for stand-alone applications is proposed and
demonstrated with a mobile house. This concept shows that different renewable sources can be used
simultaneously to power off-grid applications. The presented mobile house can produce sufficient
power to cover the peak load. Photovoltaic and wind energy are used as primary sources and a fuel
cell as backup power for the system. The power budgeting of the system is designed based on the
local data of solar radiation and wind availability. Further research will focus on the development
of the data acquisition system and the implementation of automatic controls for power management.

K ey words : Renewable energy, photovoltaic (PV), wind, fuel cell, hydrogen, hybrid power system,
education.

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1. INTRO DUC T IO N where 𝐼𝑛 𝑉𝑛 , and 𝐷𝑛 are the current, voltage and duty
Providing reliable, environmentally friendly, and cycle of each appliance used in one day, respectively
affordable energy has been a goal for many countries and 𝐸𝑑 shows the total energy demand for the mobile
throughout the world. The rising consumption of house. As shown in Table 1, the average daily energy
energy and falling accessibility of natural resources are consumption of the mobile house is calculated as
increasing the cost of electricity. In addition, as the 4220Wh according to (1). The total power, 2835W,
industry develops, greenhouse gases are becoming a declares the maximum instantaneous power which the
threat to the natural ecosystem. Therefore, renewable inverter should meet; in order to maintain the stability
energy has received more attention recently. of the energy flow, an inverter rated at least 2835W is
Solar radiation and wind are considered the most required for the design.
preferred renewable energy sources for their To simplify the analysis, daily load was assumed to
availability and inexhaustibility [1]. However, due to have constant value throughout the year and in energy
the sporadic characteristics of natural resources, it has supply analysis, December is chosen because the
been a challenge to generate a highly reliable power average solar irradiation in December is the lowest for
with photovoltaic (PV) modules and/or wind turbines Istanbul [12]. As shown in Figure 1, the area under the
[2]. To overcome this limitation, previous studies were daily load curve indicates the approximate required
conducted using a fuel cell as another energy source energy for a day, which is equal to the result – 4220Wh
and simulated results showed that a PV/wind/fuel cell – from Table 1.
hybrid power system may be a feasible solution for
stand-alone applications [3]-[5]. Since a multi-source 2.2. A vailability Study
hybrid power system increases energy availability
2.2.1. Solar Energy
significantly, it becomes advantageous for practical
applications that need highly reliable power regardless The city of Istanbul has the lowest daily irradiance
of location [6], [7]. and sun hours in December, as shown in Figure 2 [8],
This paper presents a demonstration of the use of a [9]. The average radiation in December was calculated
PV/wind/fuel cell hybrid power system to supply as 2030 Wh/m2/day when PV panels are tilted  at  41°
electricity to a mobile house. The demonstrated system [8], [10]. Total area on the roof of the mobile house
shows that it is compatible to use hydrogen as an available for PV panels is 8.4m2 and the total energy
energy carrier with other renewable energy sources generated in a day of December can be calculated with
such as PV and wind energy. The hybrid power system (2).
was designed based on the data of solar radiation and
wind availability in the city of Istanbul, Turkey. PV T able 1. C alculated energy consumption
and wind energy are used as the main energy sources Appliance Power #of Hours used Energy used
for the system and the fuel cell performs as a backup [W] / Day [hours] / Day [Wh]
power for the continuous generation of high quality Air Conditioner 560 5* 2800
power. The proposed mobile house demonstrates that it Refrigerator 70 8* 560
can be used as a stand-alone power system in remote LCD TV 65 2* 130
Electrolyzer 400 0.5 200
areas where there is no access to grid and also as a Lighting 100 2* 200
backup power system to cover electricity shortage in Water Heater 1500 0.22 330
certain situations such as natural disasters. Total 2835 4220
The paper is organized as follows. Section 2 *Discrete work hours
discusses the system design strategy and section 3
presents the system integration of components. Finally,
section 4 concludes the paper and proposes future 500
research plans.
400
2. D ESI G N ST R A T E G Y
Power [W]

2.1. Load A nalysis 300

System design starts with deciding whether the
200
mobile house is connected to grid or not. Since the
system is mobile, it has to be designed as a stand-alone
application, independent from grid. Moreover, the load 100
profile of the mobile house is analyzed to ensure that
energy sources generate sufficient energy throughout 0
the year. Equation (1) shows the estimation of average 0 4 8 12 16 20 24
daily energy consumption. Time [hours]

𝐸𝑑 = ∑𝑛𝑖=1 𝐼𝑛 𝑉𝑛 𝐷𝑛                             (1) F igure 1. Assumed daily load curve in a winter day

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400
𝑣 wind velocity (m/sec)
The mobile house used a Ventura 1000 1kW wind
turbine model which was found suitable for the hybrid
300
Irradiance [W/m2]

power system. Figure 4 shows the wind turbine output

power characteristics of this model.
200 The energy produced from wind can be determined
as follows.
100  
24
𝐸𝑤 = +∫0 𝑃𝑤  𝑑𝑡 / 𝜂𝑠                           (4)
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 Where:
Time (Hour) Pw instantaneous power produced (W)
   𝜂𝑠   system efficiency with battery and inverter
F igure 2. Solar irradiance data for December (41°N, 29°E)
= 80%
  𝐸𝑤 wind turbines’ generated power to AC Bus in a
24 day = 2177Wh/day
𝐸𝑝𝑣 = +∫0 𝐼𝑟  𝑑𝑡/ 𝑆𝜂𝑝𝑣 𝜂𝑏 𝜂𝑖                  (2)
Figure 5 shows a comparison between the energy
Where: production and the energy demand in a day in
𝑆 surface area of PV cells = 8.4m2 December. The area under the black dotted curve
𝜂𝑝𝑣 efficiency of PV panels = 16% corresponds to 𝐸𝑤 which is 2177Wh/day. 𝐸𝑒𝑏 , the
𝜂𝑏 efficiency of batteries = 85% energy balance difference between energy production
𝜂𝑖   efficiency of inverter = 95% and demand, can be calculated as follows with (1), (2),
𝐼𝑟 irradiance (W/m2) and (4).
24
∫0 𝐼𝑟  𝑑𝑡 total solar irradiance in a December day
=2030Wh/m2/day 𝐸𝑒𝑏 = (𝐸𝑝𝑣 + 𝐸𝑤 ) − 𝐸𝑑                      (5)
𝐸𝑝𝑣 PV panels’ generated power to AC Bus in a
December day = 2203Wh/day 7
Wind speed [m/sec]

According to the results from (2), 2203Wh/day from

6
the solar radiation can be produced with the available
surface on the mobile house roof.
The generated power of PV panels is also a 5
function of temperature; when the temperature
increases, the efficiency of the panel decreases [11].
However, this paper does not consider this point 4
because the  ±2.6oC deviation of the average
0 4 8 12 16 20 24
temperature of 8oC in December [12] is assumed to be
Time [hours]
negligible.
F igure 3. A verage daily wind speed in December

2.2.2. Wind Energy

Since the energy from the PV panels is not
sufficient to provide the average daily energy demand,
a wind turbine and a fuel cell can be used to provide
the remaining power needed. As shown in Figure 3, the
availability of wind was determined by the average
daily wind speed in December in Istanbul at 10m
altitude [8].
The instantaneous power produced from wind is
 
1
𝑃𝑤 = 𝜌𝐴𝐶𝑃 (λ, θ)𝑣 3                            (3)
2

Where:
𝜌 air density (kg/m3)
𝐴 rotor sweep area (m2)
𝐶𝑃 power coefficient, a function of tip speed
F igure 4. Wind turbine output power characteristics
ratio and pitch angle

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Load Solar Wind Where:

𝑃 pressure (bar)
500 𝑉 volume ( l)
𝑅 gas constant = 0.08314 (bar.l/oK.mol)
400 𝑇 absolute temperature (o K )
z compressibility factor 1.1054 @ 160bar 15oC
Power  [W]

300 𝑛 amount of gas (mol)

200 As a result, two 10-liter tanks may store approximately

121moles of hydrogen – 0.242kg @ 160bar 15oC –
100 which has 8159Wh energy. This amount of hydrogen
can supply the fuel cell for approximately 19 hours.
0
0 4 8 12 16 20 24 2.2.4. Batteries
Time [hours]
Batteries are used as the energy storage units and
F igure 5. E nergy demand vs. production the required capacity can be calculated with (9).
24 24 24 𝛼𝐸𝑑
𝐸𝑒𝑏 = +∫0 𝑃𝑝𝑣  𝑑𝑡/ 𝜂𝑠 + +∫0 𝑃𝑊  𝑑𝑡/ 𝜂𝑠 −   +∫0 𝑃𝑑  𝑑𝑡/ 𝜂𝑠    (6) 𝐼ℎ =                       (9)
𝑛 𝑠 𝑉𝑠 (1−𝑆𝑂𝐶𝑚 /100)

Using (5), the value 𝐸𝑒𝑏 was calculated as 160Wh Where:

which indicates that the mobile house has an energy 𝐸𝑑 total energy demand = 4220Wh/day
surplus of 160Wh. When Eeb is negative, the fuel cell 𝑛𝑠 system efficiency = 80%
has to be activated. 𝑉𝑠 system voltage = 24V
𝑆𝑂𝐶𝑚 minimum State of charge = 50%
2.2.3. Fuel Cell 𝛼 days of autonomy = 2
A fuel cell is used as a backup power generator for The required capacity was calculated as 879Ah from
the mobile house. The fuel cell needs to be activated (9). Because of space limitations, 8 modules of Haze
when wind and solar energy are insufficient to supply Professional’s 12V 200Ah sealed lead acid monoblock
the demand, depending on the battery state of charge. gelled electrolyte battery were used so 1.8 days of
A FutureE Jupiter 2kW PEM fuel cell was selected to autonomy is provided. Figure 7 shows the battery cycle
backup the power of the mobile house. It is 50% life respect to the depth of discharge. As shown,
efficient and consumes 22 standard liters of hydrogen (100 − 𝑆𝑂𝐶𝑚 ) of 50% corresponds to approximately
per minute (SLPM) at peak load. Figure 6 shows 500 cycles.
Jupiter’s  I-V curve. Hydrogen storage capacity should
80
be enough for one day autonomy.
The required energy for a day can be calculated as 70
follows. 60
Voltage [V]

𝐸𝑑 50
𝐸ℎ =                                (7)
𝑛𝑏 𝑛𝑓𝑐 𝑛𝑖  40
30
Where:
𝐸𝑑 energy demand = 4220Wh/day 0 40 80 120
Current [A]
𝑛𝑏 efficiency of startup batteries = 85%
F igure 6. I-V curve of fuel cell
𝑛𝑓𝑐 efficiency of fuel cell = 50%
𝑛𝑖 efficiency of inverter = 95%
100
𝐸ℎ hydrogen energy needed for autonomy
= 10452Wh/day = 37.6MJ/day 80
D.O.D [%]

60
Since the lower heating value of hydrogen is 120MJ/kg,
40
0.310kg/day of hydrogen is required for autonomy.
Equation (8) calculates the required amount of 20
hydrogen. 0
𝑃𝑉 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
𝑛=                                         (8)
𝑅𝑇𝑧 Number of Cycles
F igure 7. Battery cycle life vs. depth of discharge

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3. SYST E M I N T E G R A T I O N
The hybrid power system of the mobile house
consists of a 8x1 array of 100W PV panels, a 1kW
wind turbine, and a 2kW fuel cell. As shown in Figure
8, the block diagram of the system demonstrates the
integrated components for power generation. In the
following, each component of the system is presented
and discussed.
For PV panels, Solera GP-100/12 PV modules of E-
Sistem – composed of Poly-Si PV modules – were used.
Although Poly-Si modules have lower efficiency than
Mono-Si modules, Solera models were selected to have
better cost efficiency [13].
The wind turbine, a Ventura 1000 from E-Sistem,
generates 1kW rated power with a permanent magnet
synchronous generator. As shown in Figure 4, the cut-
in wind speed is 2.5m/s. The wind turbine works in
normal mode up to 20m/s of wind speed and after
20m/s, the turbine activates a stall control system
which enables electromagnetic regenerative braking
and lets the wind turbine generate power under the
brake control. The turbine is installed on a foldable
pole which has a height of 10m from the ground.
Although the turbines with permanent magnet
synchronous generators are more expensive, they are
more suitable for the mobile applications due to their
compact and light structure [14]. The Ventura 1000 is
able to automatically change direction to face the
predominant wind in order to generate as much power
as possible [15].
A Jupiter B from FutureE is a PEM air-cooled fuel
cell with 2kW of rated power. Hydrogen is stored in
two 10 liters tanks which are pressurized at 160bar.
PEM fuel cells with an air-cooled system are usually
more suitable for mobile applications due to their low
working temperatures and compact structure [16].
The battery bank consists of 8 gel type batteries of
200Ah at 12V. Sealed lead acid monoblock gelled
electrolyte batteries are more tolerant of deep
discharge, overcharge, and a high number of cycles.
Due to their negligible gas emission, they are
appropriate for residential usage [17]. The sources and
storage units are integrated on a single DC bus in order
F igure 8. Block diagram of the system
H YS Y D A YS – T u r i n 2009
to make the system cost-effective. Having the same
voltage level from the PV array and wind turbine
allows both sources to be connected directly to the DC
bus. Since the output of the PV module is unregulated,
a 60Amp rated Xantrex multifunction DC controller,
which is capable of voltage regulation and three-stage
battery charging, was used. The Ventura 1000 already
has a rectifier with an internal regulator; hence, it gives
an output of 24V which is the same as the PV array.
The fuel cell has a 48V output. Finally, a DC-DC
converter was installed to convert the output of fuel
cell to 24V.
The battery bank with a capacity of 19.2kWh is
used in the system to supply the transient power. When
the minimum battery state of charge (SOC) is taken
into consideration, the usable capacity becomes
9.6kWh which is the sufficient level – according to (9)
– for 1.8 days of autonomy. Hydrogen cylinders with a
capacity of 8159Wh at the given conditions were used.
Moreover, the hydrogen storage is sufficient for 0.8
day of autonomy when losses are taken into
consideration; hence, the total number of autonomous
days is 2.6 days. The fuel cell startup battery warms up
the fuel cell, and prevents unnecessary switch-on when
there is only a short term power demand. When there is
a long term power demand, the startup battery
functions as a backup power source.
A flow diagram, shown in Figure 9, describes the
system operation. Control system, programmed with
LabVIEW, prevents unnecessary switching and
minimizes the use of hydrogen as a fuel. Control
system calculates the total power demand and
production for a specific time interval. At the end of
the time interval, system checks the hydrogen pressure
if the energy demand is greater than the produced
energy and SOC is less than 50%. If the hydrogen
pressure is over 4bar, the switch disconnects the system
from DC bus as shown in Figure 8; else the switch
stays at position 1 and gives the warning about
hydrogen depletion. After the disconnection, the fuel
cell startup battery supplies the demand until the
voltage level decreases to 49V. When 49V is reached,
the fuel cell activates to generate power. The switch
stays at 0 position until when the amount of total
produced energy is greater than that of total energy
demand or battery SOC is greater than 50% at the end
of the time interval. When the hydrogen pressure level
drops below 4bar and the SOC is still less than 50%,
the switch changes its position to 1 and allows the
battery voltage to drop below 50% SOC.
5
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Start

Switch = 1 Read Battery

FC = off Bank Voltage

No

SOC≤50% 
AND
∑Edem>∑Eprod

Yes

Read Hydrogen Pressure

No
Ph≥4bar

Yes
a
Switch =0

Yes No
SOC≥50% F igure 10. T he mobile house with hybrid power system
OR
∑Eprod.>∑Edem.
and installed to optimize the storage efficiency of the
system.

F igure 9. Flow diagram of the system

4. C O N C L USI O NS
Demonstration of a PV/wind/fuel cell hybrid
power system was presented. The hybrid power system
increases power availability which is one of the key
factors for many applications that need reliable power
in remote locations. The mobile house, shown in
Figure 10, demonstrates that hydrogen can function as
an energy carrier with other renewable sources in order
to generate highly reliable power. System is utilized for
educational purposes and exhibited at trade shows.
The system was designed based on the results of a
load analysis and a study of the renewable resources
available in the city of Istanbul, Turkey. After the
design, the components of the system were integrated;
a PV module (800W), a wind turbine (1kW), and a fuel
cell (2kW) were installed to generate a maximum
power of 3.8kW. The presented system uses PV and
wind energy as the primary energy sources and fuel
cell energy as a secondary source for power generation.
Data collected from this study is being analyzed as
an on-going project. With the collected data, a power
analysis with MATLAB and LabVIEW will be
conducted. As a future work, the correlation between
the parameters and energy production will be
demonstrated, and automatic controls will be designed
A C K N O W L E D G M E N TS
The mobile house project is supported by UNIDO-
ICHET (United Nations Industrial Development
Organization - International Centre for Hydrogen
Energy Technologies) with the mission of raising
public awareness for renewable energy and
demonstrating viable implementations of hydrogen
energy technologies in developing countries. Partial
support from NANOCOFC project under EC-FP6
program is also acknowledged.
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