An investigation on coupling fuel cell and photovoltaic systems for power generation

The main purpose of this paper is to design a clean and stand-alone power generator for isolated sites using renewable energy sources. The proposed system is able to operate without the need of refueling. The idea is to combine Photovoltaic Panels (PVs) with Fuel Cell (FC) to build an uninterrupted power generator. In presence of solar energy, PVs are used to feed the site with the required power as well as to produce hydrogen and oxygen using an electrolyzer. When solar energy becomes insufficient, the stored hydrogen and oxygen are used to feed the FC and produce electricity. The proposed system is modeled and controlled using Matlab-Simulink.