Efficient Control Strategy for Methanol-Reforming Hydrogen Production
Key Ideas
- Methanol reforming is a promising technology for hydrogen production due to its high rate, low cost, and safety benefits.
- Internal model-based controllers for temperature and pressure subsystems show robustness and quick response to load changes.
- Compared to PID controllers, the internal model controller demonstrates faster response, zero steady-state error, and no overshoot.
- Simulation results indicate efficient tracking of temperature and pressure in the reforming reactor, showcasing the method's strong robustness.
The article discusses the potential of methanol reforming as a key technology for hydrogen production, particularly for fuel cells. It addresses the challenges related to the nonlinear and slow response nature of pressure and temperature subsystems in methanol reforming hydrogen production systems. The study presents two internal model-based controllers for temperature and pressure adjustments, utilizing air flow and back-pressure valve opening, respectively. Through MATLAB/Simulink simulations, a lumped parameter model is constructed for the system, leading to the design of the internal model controllers. Results show that the proposed control method ensures robustness and enables quick and accurate tracking of temperature and pressure targets even during load changes, with stable performance and no steady-state errors. The article highlights the efficiency of the internal model controller compared to the traditional PID controller, showcasing faster response times, zero steady-state errors, and improved dynamic characteristics. Overall, the study emphasizes the strong potential of internal model control strategies in enhancing the performance and efficiency of methanol-reforming hydrogen production systems.