SYSTEM FOR GENERATING ELECTRICAL POWER

The object of the invention is a MODULAR AND NON-POLLUTING REGULATED ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION SYSTEM, BASED ON THE MODULAR IMPLEMENTATION OF PEM TYPE FUEL CELLS POWERED BY HYDROGEN, TOGETHER WITH ITS SIMULATOR AND INCLUDED INSTRUMENTATION, CONTROL AND MONITORING SYSTEMS. The prototype developed to demonstrate the invention has a power of 13.6 kW and is built on the basis of 4 modules of 3.4 kW each. The system produces regulated electrical power directly from hydrogen through an electrochemical reaction, which is inherently more efficient than combustion and minimizes the adverse effects associated with the combustion process (including excessive noise, polluting emissions and maintenance). The system can work continuously (24 hours a day, 365 days a year), that is, for as long as the hydrogen is supplied to it, so unlike other renewable energy sources, the electricity produced by the system object of the invention is independent of weather conditions. The system can work with the number of stacks required at any time, which allows it to generate at its output a regulated power in the range from 0 to "n" * "p", where "n" is the number of stacks and " p" the power of each of them assuming all the same. Otherwise, you could have from 0 to (p1 + p2 + … + "pn"). The operation of stacked proton exchange membrane (PEM) cells to generate electrical energy from hydrogen suffers from problems that deteriorate them, which causes their life time to be relatively short (on average between 4,000 and 5,000 hours). . In order to increase this life time, the system that is the object of the invention monitors each of its cells (voltage and current measurements) in order to manage and mitigate its aging by means of the control system that it incorporates. The developed system also has two additional features that make it particularly simple: it is air-cooled and does not require a high hydrogen supply pressure, as it can actually work at ambient pressure. The first of the characteristics means that there are no mobile or liquid parts in the cooling system, facilitating and simplifying its integration. The second provides security to the system as it is not necessary to work with high hydrogen pressures. Both characteristics provide reduction of volumes, weights and costs.