PLOS ONE

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Design and analysis of photovoltaic/wind

operations at MPPT for hydrogen production
using a PEM electrolyzer: Towards innovations
in green technology
Mohamed Awad ID1, Mohamed Metwally Mahmoud ID2, Z. M. S. Elbarbary3, Loai Mohamed
Ali4, Shazly Nasser Fahmy ID4, Ahmed I. Omar ID4*

1 Department of Electrical Power & Machines Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Giza
a1111111111 City, Giza, Egypt, 2 Electrical Engineering Department, Faculty of Energy Engineering, Aswan University,
a1111111111 Aswan, Egypt, 3 Electrical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, King Khalid University, Abha,
a1111111111 Saudi Arabia, 4 Electrical Power and Machines Engineering Department, The Higher Institute of Engineering
a1111111111 at El-Shorouk City, El-Shorouk Academy, Cairo, Egypt
a1111111111 * a.omar@sha.edu.eg

Abstract
OPEN ACCESS
In recent times, renewable energy systems (RESs) such as Photovoltaic (PV) and wind tur-
Citation: Awad M, Mahmoud MM, Elbarbary ZMS,
Mohamed Ali L, Fahmy SN, Omar AI (2023) Design
bine (WT) are being employed to produce hydrogen. This paper aims to compare the effi-
and analysis of photovoltaic/wind operations at ciency and performance of PV and WT as sources of RESs to power polymer electrolyte
MPPT for hydrogen production using a PEM membrane electrolyzer (PEMEL) under different conditions. The study assessed the input/
electrolyzer: Towards innovations in green
output power of PV and WT, the efficiency of the MPPT controller, the calculation of the
technology. PLoS ONE 18(7): e0287772. https://
doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772 green hydrogen production rate, and the efficiency of each system separately. The study
analyzed variable irradiance from 600 to 1000 W/m2 for a PV system and a fixed tempera-
Editor: Yogendra Arya, J.C. Bose University of
Science and Technology, YMCA, INDIA, INDIA ture of 25˚C, while for the WT system, it considered variable wind speed from 10 to 14 m/s
and zero fixed pitch angle. The study demonstrated that the applied controllers were effec-
Received: March 22, 2023
tive, fast, low computational, and highly accurate. The obtained results showed that WT pro-
Accepted: June 7, 2023
duces twice the PEMEL capacity, while the PV system is designed to be equal to the
Published: July 20, 2023 PEMEL capacity. The study serves as a reference for designing PV or WT to feed an elec-
Copyright: © 2023 Awad et al. This is an open trolyzer. The MATLAB program validated the proposed configurations with their control
access article distributed under the terms of the schemes.
Creative Commons Attribution License, which
permits unrestricted use, distribution, and
reproduction in any medium, provided the original
author and source are credited.

Data Availability Statement: All relevant data are

Introduction
within the paper and Supporting Information files.
Hydrogen is a technique for decarbonizing solutions because it burns without releasing CO2.
Funding: The authors extend their appreciation to
the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Khalid
Although it is not the main energy source like oil, coal, or gas, it may be utilized as a trans-
University under for funding this work through porter for energy. With most renewable energy sources (RESs), energy storage is necessary [1].
General Research Project under Grant number Hydrogen can be produced from RESs, calling it green hydrogen. Green hydrogen has a con-
(RGP.2/373/44). siderably larger potential than fossil fuels because it is related to Photovoltaic (PV) and wind
Competing interests: NO authors have competing turbine (WT), which greatly exceeds global energy consumption today and, in the future [1].
interests PV is a new form of energy that is created by relying on sunshine, whereas WT is a RES that is

PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772 July 20, 2023 1 / 24

PLOS ONE Design and analysis of PV/WT for hydrogen production using a PEM electrolyzer: Innovations in green technology

Abbreviations: λ, Tip speed ratio; ηF, Faraday dependent on wind speed to operate. PV or WT powers an electrolyzer to produce hydrogen.
efficiency; Cp, The power coefficient of wind A polymer electrolyte membrane electrolyzer (PEMEL) is one type of electrolyzer that uses
turbine; FH2, Electrolyzer hydrogen flow rate (mol/s;
electricity to break water into hydrogen and oxygen.
C, Capacitor; ˚C, Degrees Celsius; D, Duty cycle; F,
Farad; H, Henry; L, Inductor; N, Electrolyzer cell Most of the literature works focused on two ways, the first trend in green hydrogen which
number; n, Number of electron exchanges; P, is powered by a renewable energy grid-connected system, and the second direction in green
Power; p.u, Per unit; β, The blade pitch angle; ρ, hydrogen which is powered by RES in an off-grid system. Mokhtara et al. optimized the sizing
The air density; AEL, Alkaline electrolyzer; BESS, of an on-grid hybrid RES that contains PV, electrolyzer, fuel cell (FC), and storage tank (ST)
Battery energy storage systems; HHV, Higher
for a university building in the south of Algeria, using a particle swarm optimization (PSO)
heating value; HRES, Hybrid renewable energy
system; IRENA, International renewable energy
method and Homer program [2]. The integration of a hydrogen generator with a WT includ-
agency; KPI, Key performance indicators; LCOE, ing well power characteristics was investigated by Kotowicz et al. [3]. Alkaline electrolysis
Levelized cost of electricity; MBA, Mine blast (AEL) and PEMEL dynamic behavior for grid-connected PV and WT input data sets from the
algorithm; MOSFET, The metal–oxide– region of northwest Germany were examined by Schnuelle et al. [4]. Yang et al. offered a
semiconductor field-effect transistor; MPPT, detailed strategy for figuring out the capacity construction and power reallocation of a PV-
Maximum power point tracking; NREL, National
hydrogen on-grid system [5]. Power management controls were created by Dahbi et al. to
renewable energy laboratory; NSGA-II, Non-
dominated sorting genetic II; P&O, Perturb & reduce extra energy in a PV on-grid system while producing green hydrogen [6]. Yildirim, cre-
observe; PEM, Polymer electrolyte membrane; ated a smart controller based on the WT, PV, FC, electrolyzer, battery energy storage systems
PEMEL, Polymer electrolyte membrane (BESS), and loads to efficiently execute load frequency regulation of an island’s FC microgrid
electrolyzer; PMS, Power management system; [7, 8]. Atawi et al. proposed a controlled microgrid that includes WT/FC units that supply
PMSG, Permanent magnet synchronous generator;
both dynamic and static loads [8]. The design and control techniques of a PV/FC microgrid
PSO, Swarm optimization; PV, Photovoltaics; SPE,
Solid polymer electrolyte; ST, Storage tank; WT,
hybrid system were optimized by Ghenai et al. to handle the electrical demands of 150 homes
Wind turbine. in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates [9]. An autonomous clean energy microgrid using a regener-
ative hydrogen fuel cell (RHFC) as a backup generator for up to 10 days was proposed by Jan-
sen et al. [10].
In an off-grid application, Attemene et al. recommended the ideal configuration of a system
made up of a WT/ PEMFC/AEL/battery/super-capacitor bank [11]. The electrical dynamics of
the PV/battery/FC/electrolyzer were modeled and experimentally validated by Badoud et al.
[12]. Hasan and Dincer developed a RES-based integrated system that consists of a WT/PV/
electrolyzer/ ammonia synthesis system [13]. Douak and Settou suggested a model of an effec-
tive hybrid system PV/WT/ FC that covers the needs of a typical off-grid home in the Adrar
region of Algeria [14].
In various studies on the performance of RESs in powering PEMELs, researchers have
examined the effectiveness of different systems. Albarghot and Rolland compared the simula-
tion and experimental data of a PEMEL powered by a horizontal WT [15], while Akyuz et al.
used MATLAB Simulink to examine a hybrid system that includes WT/PV/battery/PEMEL
[16]. Albarghot and Rolland contrasted the outcomes of a PV-powered PEMEL simulation
and experiment [17]. Zhang et al. investigated the efficiency of a 3 kW PV and 3 kW PEMEL
system in different surroundings [18]. Table 1 summarizes the literature on green hydrogen-
powered by RESs.
This paper introduces a PV and WT system to produce green hydrogen using PEMEL, a
buck converter to reduce the outage voltage to the operation voltage of PEMEL, and applying
P&O-MPPT to get the maximum power of the system. Results obtained the efficiency and eco-
nomical of the PV and WT systems to produce hydrogen.
The main contributions of this study can be categorized as follows:
• Design and implementation of PV and WT system-powered PEMEL as a stand-alone
system.
• Implementing P&O MPPT to each system to get maximum power from PV and WT systems
using low incremental to get fast speed response from the systems.

PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772 July 20, 2023 2 / 24

PLOS ONE Design and analysis of PV/WT for hydrogen production using a PEM electrolyzer: Innovations in green technology

Table 1. A review of the literature based on green hydrogen-powered by RESs.

Ref. Objectives Program/device used/ Important conclusions
method
[6] Design and modeling of a hybrid system (PV/grid) that MATLAB/ power Development of the maximization of the PV modules’
powers an electrolyzer that generates clean hydrogen and management control power, securing the regular supply of the load, and
powered a DC load. optimizing the creation of hydrogen.
[14] Development of a model of an effective hybrid system made FORTRAN language According to this study, the PV/Wind/FC system is the best
up of PV, WT, and FC components for the Adrar site. choice for the Adrar site.
[9] Designed and controlled techniques of a PV/FC Power management system The findings demonstrate that the PV/FC/Electrolyzer/
microgrid hybrid system to handle the electrical demands of (PMS) Inverter system is capable of supplying the daily electrical
150 homes in Sharjah. needs of the 150 homes in the residential community that
was chosen.
[11] Determining the best configuration for an off-grid Non-dominated Sorting In regions with significant wind potential, the suggested
application involving a WT, a PEMFC, an AEL, a battery, Genetic II (NSGA-II) structure would be economical. However, the incorporation
and a supercapacitor banking. algorithm of a renewable source like PV should be looked into in
places with poor wind potential.
[5] Investigating a general approach to deciding the capacity Monitoring inverter output The grid connection configuration and hydrogen
configuration and power reallocation for a grid-connected and experimental data. production status affect the best reallocation of PV-
PV system integrated hydrogen generation system. hydrogen power; and a large-scale PV system integrated
with a hydrogen system can improve power utilization,
economic benefits, and emissions
[8] Controlling microgrid that includes WT/FC units that Control algorithm using the As a result, when the wind speed is low, the FC feeds the
supply both dynamic and static loads. Mine Blast Algorithm (MBA) loads like a slave.
and MATLAB
[12] Modeled, and experimentally validated the electrical Power management algorithm The experimental findings demonstrate that the control
dynamics of the PV/Battery/FC/Electrolyzer. and experimental study. approach employed successfully controls the electrolyzer
and FC working patterns while saving the battery bank
against excessive use.
[4] Analyzed AEL and PEMEL dynamic behavior for on-grid key performance indicators From an economic standpoint, AEL technology is preferred
PV and WT input data sets from the region of northwest (KPI) like costs and for electrolyzer functioning with a direct renewable
Germany. efficiencies. electricity source.
[15] Compared the simulation of a PEMEL powered by a MATLAB/ experimental set- The results from the simulation low higher than the
horizontal WT and the experimental data of it. up. experimental setup.
[16] Analyzed the performance of a hybrid system that includes MATLAB software. The energy efficiency of the PEMEL at 35–75˚C was found
WT/PV/Battery/PEMEL. to be 64–70%.
[3] Analyzing the integration of a hydrogen generator with a Laboratory examination. The hydrogen generator-rated power is equal to the WT-
WT system including sufficient power characteristics rated power, and it is dependent on the wind speed and the
amount of power from the WT which is available.
[17] Comparing the outcomes between a PV-powered PEMEL MATLAB program and The maximum power of the PV panel is influenced by the
simulation and its experiment. experimental test. weather. The hydrogen production rate from the simulation
is higher than the results from the experiments test.
[2] Development of the sizing of an on-grid HRES that contains PSO method/ Homer The ideal PV system for the chosen structure is the grid. The
PV, electrolyzer, FC, and ST for a university building in the program grid-connected PV-H2 is the optimum option for the
south of Algeria. building and transportation sector.
Proposed Design and analysis of PV and WT systems to produce MATLAB The Power of WT to feed PEMEL is to be approximately two
hydrogen using a PEMEL and MPPT controller. times PEMEL capacity. In addition, the PV system is
designed to be equal to PEMEL capacity.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772.t001

• It measured the input, output, and efficiency of the MPPT controller under the conditions of
variance irradiance level from 600 to 1000 W/m2 and 25˚C fixed temperature for a stand-alone
PV system. Furthermore, it measured the input, output, and efficiency of the MPPT controller
under the variable wind speed from 10 to 14 m/s and zero fixed pitch angle for the WT system.
• Measured the hydrogen production rate, and characteristics of voltage and current for each
system. Finally, making the comparison between PV and WT systems results feed the same
PEMEL and shows the efficiencies, and differences, and makes a comparison between PV
system output and other work in this field.

PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772 July 20, 2023 3 / 24

PLOS ONE Design and analysis of PV/WT for hydrogen production using a PEM electrolyzer: Innovations in green technology

• This paper can be a guide to designing PV or WT that will feed an electrolyzer in practical
life.
The rest of the paper is organized as follows: Section 2 presents the design and methodology
for the main components (PEMEL, PV, WT, and Buck converter with MPPT function). In
Section 3, results and discussion are provided to compare the PV system and WT system with
the PEMEL. In Section 4, conclusions about green hydrogen using the PV and WT systems
and the future challenges for green hydrogen are presented.

Design and methodology

The system consists of these elements which are PEMEL, PV or WT system, buck converter,
and the MPPT function.

Polymer electrolyte membrane electrolyzer

The electrolyzer converts electrical energy from a renewable energy source (PV or WT) into
hydrogen and oxygen, and then the hydrogen is stored in a tank [19]. The PEMEL is made up
of a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) which is responsible for transferring protons from the
anode to the cathode and separating the generated gas at the anode and cathode. In addition,
providing electrical insulation between the two electrodes while operating as a reactant shield
against gas crossover [20]. PEMEL is better than other types of electrolyzers because it can
start quickly, which is important in renewable energy systems due to variations in solar irradi-
ances and wind speeds [21].
The following are the chemical processes of PEM water electrolysis:
Anode : 2H2 O ! O2 þ 4H þ þ4e ð1Þ

Cathode : 4H þ þ4e ! 2H2 ð2Þ

Global : 2H2 O ! 2H2 þ O2 ð3Þ

Water particles react at the anode to create oxygen and positively charged protons as a
result of the reactions. Protons then travel through the SPE on their way to the cathode, where
they interact with electrons to form hydrogen. Fig 1 obtains the PEMEL operation concept
[20].

Fig 1. Operation concept of the PEMEL.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772.g001

PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772 July 20, 2023 4 / 24

PLOS ONE Design and analysis of PV/WT for hydrogen production using a PEM electrolyzer: Innovations in green technology

The flow rate of hydrogen production by the PEMEL is calculated according to the follow-
ing equation [22]:
NI
FH2 ¼ Z ð4Þ
nF F
where FH2 represents the electrolyzer hydrogen flow rate in (mol/s). N denotes the electrolyzer
cell number. ηF denotes Faraday’s efficiency. I referred to the electrolyzer operating current. F
is Faraday’s constant (96485 C/mol). N represents the number of electron exchanges (n = 2)
[22, 23]. Faraday’s efficiency can be calculated as follows [24]:
0:09 75:5
ZF ¼ 96:5 expð Þ ð5Þ
iel i2el

In actual life to calculate the flow rate of hydrogen production in (mol/s), you should put
electrolyzer efficiency ηel in your consideration which is put in Eq (6) as follows:
NI
FH2 ¼ Z Z ð6Þ
n F F el

According to International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the average PEM electro-
lyzer efficiency ηel currently equals 60% [25]. The rate of hydrogen generation is given in Nm3/
h as follows [23]:
Q ¼ FH2 � 3600 � 0:022414 ð7Þ

where Q is the hydrogen flow rate in Nm3/h. The higher heating value (HHV) of hydrogen is
the heat of formation (enthalpy); the least amount of energy required to split water into hydro-
gen and oxygen. The HHV is defined as the amount of energy released by fuel combustion
starting at 25˚C and allowing the products to cool to 25˚C after combustion [26]. The PEMEL
used for analysis is from National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) project, named
(PEM E-130 stack). Table 2 shows the parameters of the PEM E-130 stack [26]:

PV technology
PV panels use sunlight as a source of energy to generate direct-current electricity. Solar cells
consist of two parts: n-type (negative part) and p-type (positive part). Although it is not the
primary mechanism for endowing directionality to carriers in the majority of photovoltaic
devices, elementary treatments of photovoltaics emphasize the importance of this field in sepa-
rating charge carriers [27]. In the entire volume of the p-n junction, excited electrons convert
the semiconductor’s valence band to the conduction band when absorbing light [27]. Mobile
electrons migrate across the junction in an n-type material through diffusion. In addition,

Table 2. PEM E-130 stack parameters [26].

Item Value
Specification PEM E-130 stack
No. of series Cells 20 cells
Voltage per one cell From 1.5 to 2.2 V
Operating current of the stack From 0 to 200 A (135 A rated)
Operating voltage of the stack 43 V
Calorific value for hydrogen at HHV 286000 J/ml
Faraday’s efficiency 96.165%
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772.t002

PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772 July 20, 2023 5 / 24

PLOS ONE Design and analysis of PV/WT for hydrogen production using a PEM electrolyzer: Innovations in green technology

Fig 2. The principal operation of the solar cell.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772.g002

mobile holes in the p-type material move oppositely across the junction due to diffusion.
When the sun shines on the solar cells, electrons flow from the n-type into the connecting
wire, via the load, and back to the p-type, as shown in Fig 2 [28].
A PV array contains some modules in series and parallel as required for the load system. Im,
Vm, and Pm are the maximum current, maximum voltage, and maximum power of the PV
array, correspondingly [29].
Pm ¼ Vm Im ð8Þ

Irradiance is higher meaning the higher power you can get from the PV system [30]. A tem-
perature of 25˚C or less is preferable to the PV system [30]. This model suggests using the PV
array to power the PEMEL through the buck converter to step down voltage. Moreover, apply-
ing the MPPT technique to gain maximum power from the PV system, as shown in Fig 3 [31].
PV system efficiency can be calculated as follows [32]:
Poutput
ZPV system ¼ ð9Þ
G APV

where G is solar intensity (1000 W/m2), Apv is PV Modules area, and Poutput is the output of

Fig 3. A diagram of the PV system with PEMEL.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772.g003

PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772 July 20, 2023 6 / 24

PLOS ONE Design and analysis of PV/WT for hydrogen production using a PEM electrolyzer: Innovations in green technology

Table 3. PV system model parameters [33].

PV module specifications
Item Value
Pm 350 W
Vm 38.5 V
Im 9.09 A
A (1.984 ×0.998) = 1.98 m2
PV array specifications
No. PV Modules in series 2 Modules
No. of strings 10 Modules
Total power of PV system 7000 W
Input irradiance (Fixed) 1000 W/m2
Buck converter specifications
Capacitor (C) 5.309e-3 F
Inductance (L) 1.16634e-5 H
Vripple 1% of Vout (4.3 V)
Load resistance (PEM electrolyzer) 0.26414 Ω
Series resistance to load 0.09 Ω
MPPT type P&O MPPT
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772.t003

the PV system (input power to electrolyzer). Overall efficiency for a PV system-powered

PEMEL is calculated according to [32].
FH2 E
ZPVþElectrolyzer ¼ ð10Þ
G APV

where E is the Calorific value for hydrogen, in J/ml. The PV system parameters for simulation
in MATLAB are as in Table 3 [33].

Wind Turbine (WT) technology

The kinetic energy inside a WT is converted to mechanical energy, which is ultimately con-
verted to electrical power by a generator [34]. The WT is linked to the PEMEL through a per-
manent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG), a three-phase rectifier, and a DC/DC buck
converter [35, 36].
PMSG is commonly utilized in stand-alone compact wind turbines due to its high efficiency
and minimum maintenance and a three-phase AC voltage at the input is converted to a DC
voltage at the output using a three-phase rectifier [37]. The MPPT controller is used to achieve
the maximum output of the WT system as shown in Fig 4 [38].
This equation gives the mechanical power, Pm, captured by the turbine [34, 35, 37]:
Pm ¼ 0:5 r A V 3 Cp ðb; lÞ ð11Þ

where Cp refers to the power coefficient, β indicates the blade pitch angle, λ is the tip speed
ratio (TSR), ρ represents the air density, A is swept area, and V is the wind speed [37].
The higher height of the tower means getting a high speed of the wind and this lead to get-
ting more power from the WT system [39]. Offshore WT gives a higher speed than the onshore
WT reflecting in getting more power also from the WT system [40]. The higher length of the
diameter of the blades of WT the more power output [41]. The location of the WT system is
the most factor that affecting in all parameters and outputs of the WT system [42].

PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772 July 20, 2023 7 / 24

PLOS ONE Design and analysis of PV/WT for hydrogen production using a PEM electrolyzer: Innovations in green technology

Fig 4. A diagram of the WT system with PEM electrolyzer.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772.g004

The PMSG is simulated in the dq reference frame. The armature has induced a voltage on
both the d and q axis. DC voltage and current are used to power the generator. The next equa-
tions determine the current on the d and q axes [37]:

disd Rsa Lsq 1

¼ i þ o i þ u ð12Þ
dt Lsd sd Lsd s sq Lsd sd

!
disq Rsa Lsd 1 1
¼ i os i þ c þ u ð13Þ
dt Lsq sq Lsq sd Lsd p Lsq sq

Eq 14 gives the electromagnetic torque (Te) delivered from the PMSG rotor [37]:
� �h � �i
P
Te ¼ 1:5 cp isq þ isd isq Lsd Lsq ð14Þ
2

The currents and voltages of the d and q axes are represented by isd, isq, usd, and usq, respec-
tively. The generator’s angular frequency is ωs. The generator’s inductance is Lsd and Lsq. The
permanent flux is ψp, the stator resistance is Rsa, and the number of poles is P [37]. Wind tur-
bine system efficiency can be calculated as follows:

Poutput
ZWT system ¼ ð15Þ
PWT

where PWT is the rated power of WT and Poutput is the output of the WT system (input power
to electrolyzer). Overall efficiency for the WT system with electrolyzer is calculated according
to the Eq (16):

FH2 E
ZWTþElectrolyzer ¼ ð16Þ
PWT

Fig 5 displays WT properties that are applied in MATLAB [33]. The WT system parameters
for simulation in MATLAB are illustrated in Table 4 [43].

PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772 July 20, 2023 8 / 24

PLOS ONE Design and analysis of PV/WT for hydrogen production using a PEM electrolyzer: Innovations in green technology

Fig 5. WT power characteristics at zero pitch angle.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772.g005

Buck converter
The buck converter converts a higher dc input voltage to a lower dc output voltage. A con-
trolled switch MOSFET, a switch diode, a capacitor (C), and an inductor (L) make up the cir-
cuit. The circuit of the buck converter is shown in Fig 6.
The capacitor ensures that current flows continuously throughout the electrolyzer by main-
taining the voltage across the load and enabling currents to flow through it. The inductor is

Table 4. WT system model parameters.

Item Value
Wind speed (fixed) 12 m/s
Pitch angle Zero degree
Rated power 12300 W
Maximum power at base wind speed 0.85 p.u
Base rotational speed 1.2 p.u
PMSG
Number of phases 3 Phases
Rotor type Salient pole
Ld inductance 0.395e-3 H
Lq inductance 0.395e-3 H
Rectifier
Type of rectifier 3-phase rectifier
Power Electronic Device Diode
Buck converter
Capacitor (C) 1.53e-4 F
Inductance (L) 4.204e-7 H
Vripple 2% of Vout (8.6 V)
Load resistance (PEM electrolyzer) 0.255 Ω
Series resistance to load 0.01 Ω
MPPT Type P&O MPPT
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772.t004

PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772 July 20, 2023 9 / 24

PLOS ONE Design and analysis of PV/WT for hydrogen production using a PEM electrolyzer: Innovations in green technology

responsible for delivering and damping ripples in the load current. The capacitor and inductor
work a crucial role in providing the electrolyzer with a steady current [44]. The following equa-
tions are used to compute capacitor (C) and inductor (L) [45]:
Vo
Duty cycle ¼ ð17Þ
Vi

ð1 DÞVo
Capacitor ðCÞ ¼ ð18Þ
2F 2 LVripple

ð1 DÞVo
InductorðLÞ ¼ ð19Þ
2FIo

Eq (20) is used to compute the PEMEL load as a resistance load:

Vo
Load resistor ¼ ð20Þ
Io

MPPT technique
This model employs Perturb & Observe to gain maximum output power (MPPT). Fig 7 dis-
plays the dP/dV positions [38, 46, 47].
A little increase in this technique disrupts the PV array’s working voltage, and the resulting
change in power, P, is monitored. If the P is positive, it means that the operating point has
moved a bit to the MPP. This operating point should be nearest to the MPP as a result of more
voltage disturbances in the same direction. If P is negative, this operating point has moved
away from MPP, and the perturbation direction should then be reversed to return it to MPP
[46–48]. To achieve the maximum output of power, the same method is used in wind system
technology [38]. This technique is less speed than the other controllers like Fuzzy Logic Con-
troller (FLC) and Adaptive FLC (AFLC) but we exceeded this problem by using low incremen-
tal of P&O MPPT [49, 50]. Fig 8 shows the P&O technique flowchart [31].

Fig 6. The diagram of the DC-DC buck converter.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772.g006

PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772 July 20, 2023 10 / 24

PLOS ONE Design and analysis of PV/WT for hydrogen production using a PEM electrolyzer: Innovations in green technology

MPPT code
function D = DutyRatio(V, I)
Dmax = 0.95;
Dmin = 0;
Dinit = 0.95;
deltaD = 0.0001;
persistent Vold, Pold, and Dold;
dataType = ’double’;
if isempty(Vold)
Vold = 0;
Pold = 0;
Dold = Dinit;
end
P = V*I;
dV = V-Vold;
dP = P-Pold;
if dP<0
if dV<0
D = Dold + deltaD;
else
D = Dold - deltaD;
end
else
if dV<0
D = Dold - deltaD;
else
D = Dold + deltaD;
end
end
else D = Dold;
end
if D >= Dmax || D <= Dmin
D = Dold;
end
Dold = D;
Vold = V;
Pold = P;

Fig 7. curve at various points along with the power characteristic. P−V
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772.g007

PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772 July 20, 2023 11 / 24

PLOS ONE Design and analysis of PV/WT for hydrogen production using a PEM electrolyzer: Innovations in green technology

Fig 8. Flowchart of the P&O technique.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772.g008

Discussion of simulated results

Investigated PV system
A solar module, with an electrolyzer, and a buck converter circuit are combined to make a cir-
cuit to produce hydrogen. The simulation has been carried out during variable irradiance of
600, 700, 800, 900, and 1000 W/m2 and fixed temperature of 25˚C. Fig 9 displays a simulation
in MATLAB for PV system-powered PEMEL [33].

MPPT controller for PV system

Software obtained and calculated the MPPT efficiency according to input and output power
for each system. All models tested under variance irradiance which was from 600 to 1000 W/
m2 also, and the fixed temperature of 25˚C.

PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772 July 20, 2023 12 / 24

PLOS ONE Design and analysis of PV/WT for hydrogen production using a PEM electrolyzer: Innovations in green technology

Fig 9. Simulation model of PV system with PEMEL in MATLAB.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772.g009

The input power of the PV system to the MPPT controller at 1000 W/m2 equal 6993 W, at
900 W/m2 equal 6311 W, at 800 W/m2 equal 5621 W, at 700 W/m2 equal 4929 W, and 600 W/
m2 equal 4228 W. The MPPT controller output at 1000 W/m2 equal 5472 W, at 900 W/m2
equal 5147 W, at 800 W/m2 equal 4699 W, at 700 W/m2 equal 4410 W, and 600 W/m2 equal
3961 W. Efficiency at 1000, 900, 800, 700, and 600 W/m2 equal 78.25%, 81.55%, 83.59%,
89.48%, and 93.69%. respectively. Fig 10 obtained input, the output of the PV system, and the
efficiency of its MPPT controller.
The higher PV output power from the P&O MPPT controller, at the fixed temperature of
25˚C and 1000 W/m2 equals 5147 W. However, the best MPPT efficiency at lower irradiance is
at 600 W/m2 which is 93.69%. It is obtained to us from the results of MATLAB that the appli-
cation of the P&O MPPT method to the PV system reaches a high efficiency for producing
green hydrogen, as the results for any models were not less than 78%.

Voltage and current characteristics for PV system output

Voltage and current characteristics are important to define the good operation of the PEMEL.
From the Simulink, the operation voltage of the PEM E-130 stack is between 44 and 45 volts
and the operating current for the PEM E-130 stack is 124.4 A at 1000 W/m2 and 25˚C. Fig 11
shows the output voltage and current of the PV system at 1000 W/m2 and 25˚C.

Production rate of hydrogen-powered by the PV system

This paper calculated Faraday’s efficiency by applying Eq (5). After that, it calculated the flow
rate of hydrogen in (mol/sec) according to Eq (6). Finally, using Eq (7) to convert the hydro-
gen flow rate from (mol/s) to (Nm3/h) is performed. The results showed the relation between
irradiance in W/m2 and output hydrogen flow rate in Nm3/h when the temperature was con-
stant at 25˚C as depicted in Fig 12.

Investigated WT system
The WT-powered PEMEL. MATLAB uses variable wind speed values: which are (10, 11, 12,
13, and 14 m/s) and fixed pitch angle (zero pitch angle). Fig 13 shows the simulation model of
the investigated WT with PEMEL [33].

PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772 July 20, 2023 13 / 24

PLOS ONE Design and analysis of PV/WT for hydrogen production using a PEM electrolyzer: Innovations in green technology

Fig 10. P&O-MPPT controller of PV. (a) PV inputs power, (b) controller output power, and (c) Efficiency of the
controller.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772.g010

MPPT controller for WT system. The program calculated the MPPT efficiency accord-
ing to input and output power for each system. All models tested under variance wind speed
which was from W/m2 14 to 10 m/s also, and the fixed pitch angle which was equal to zero.
The input power of the WT system to the MPPT controller at 14 m/s equal 9912 W, at 13
m/s equal 8521 W, at 12 m/s equal 7046 W, at 11 m/s equal 5514 W, and 10 m/s speed of wind
equals 3942 W. The MPPT controller output at 14 m/s equal 9875 W, at 13 m/s equal 8489 W,

PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772 July 20, 2023 14 / 24

PLOS ONE Design and analysis of PV/WT for hydrogen production using a PEM electrolyzer: Innovations in green technology

Fig 11. Characteristics of voltage and current output at 1000 W/m2 and 25˚C. (a) voltage level of PEMEL, (b)
current level of PEMEL.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772.g011

at 12 m/s equal 7019 W, at 11 m/s equal 5493 W, and 10 m/s equal 3927 W. Efficiency at 14,
13, 12, 11, 10 m/s equal 99.63%, 99.62%, 99.62%, 99.62%, and 99.62%, respectively. Fig 14
obtained the input, output, and efficiency of the P&O MPPT controller.
The WT output power from the P&O-MPPT controller, at the zero fixed pitch angle and
the 14 m/s speed of WT; output power equals 9912 W. Additionally, the MPPT efficiency of
the different wind speeds is approximate to be fixed which equals 99.62%. It is obtained to us
concluded that the implementation of the P&O MPPT algorithm to the WT system reaches
not fewer than 99.62% and this is a great effect on green hydrogen technology.
From the results, at 14 m/s the output power of WT is equal to 9875 W, and the current
exceeded 200 A. This is not sufficient because the operating current for this PEMEL model is

PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772 July 20, 2023 15 / 24

PLOS ONE Design and analysis of PV/WT for hydrogen production using a PEM electrolyzer: Innovations in green technology

Fig 12. Production rate of hydrogen with variance solar irradiance.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772.g012

up to 200 A only [26]. To solve this problem, this paper suggested using the current limiter
device. A sense resistor connected in series with the output pass transistor’s emitter are used in
the circuit of the power supply current limiter [51]. The current is limited by two diodes that
are positioned between the circuit’s output and the base of the pass transistor [51]. Fig 15
obtains the basic components of the current limiter circuit [51].
Voltage and current characteristics for WT system output. The output voltage and cur-
rent from WT are obtained to define the operation of the PEMEL. From the Simulink, the
operation voltage of the PEM E-130 stack is between 43 and 44 Volts and the output current
equals 163.2 A at 12 m/s and the zero-pitch angle. Fig 16 shows the output voltage and current
of the WT system at 12 m/s and the zero-pitch angle.

Fig 13. Simulation model for WT system with PEMEL in MATLAB.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772.g013

PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772 July 20, 2023 16 / 24

PLOS ONE Design and analysis of PV/WT for hydrogen production using a PEM electrolyzer: Innovations in green technology

Fig 14. P&O-MPPT controller of WT. (a) input power to the controller, (b) output power of the controller, and (c)
Efficiency of the controller.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772.g014

PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772 July 20, 2023 17 / 24

PLOS ONE Design and analysis of PV/WT for hydrogen production using a PEM electrolyzer: Innovations in green technology

Fig 15. Current limiter circuit.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772.g015

Production rate of hydrogen-powered by WT system. This paper calculated Faraday’s

efficiency using Eq (5). After that, It is calculated the flow rate of hydrogen in mol/sec accord-
ing to Eq (6). Finally, It is used Eq (7) to convert the hydrogen flow rate from mol/s to Nm3/h.
The result is obtained in Fig 17 Which shows the relation between wind speed in m/s and
the output hydrogen flow rate in Nm3/h at zero pitch angle.

Comparison between PV and WT systems to power PEMEL

The efficiency of the PV system according to Eq (9) equals 16.63%. The overall system effi-
ciency (PV system + PEMEL) is calculated according to Eq (10) equals 5.43%.
Additionally, it calculated the efficiency of the WT system, using Eq (15), the efficiency is
57.07%. The overall system efficiency (WT system + PEMEL) using Eq (16) equals 18.77%.
The comparison between the PV system and WT system-powered PEMEL is in Table 5.
The results showed that the efficiency of the PV system-powered PEMEL equals 5.43%
when designing a solar system with 7 kW DC power: the near-capacity of 5.7 kW of the
PEMEL. The WT system powered-PEMEL efficiency is equal to 18.77% when WT with a watt-
age capacity of 12.3 kW: approximately to be double the capacity of the PEMEL.
The WT is more efficient than solar energy for this system selected in our study. The wind
energy system exceeds three times the efficiency of the system in the case of solar energy.
Comparison to previous solar hydrogen systems. Other research examined the solar to
hydrogen efficiency and obtained a result of 6.2% efficiency of the total system [52]. The entire
effectiveness of the solar hydrogen energy unit was carefully tracked in a real-world system,
and up to 5.01% overall energy efficiency [53].
Furthermore, another system has a total system efficiency at the lowest value of 1.7% [54].
In addition, a model created an optimal direct link between the electrolyzer and PV systems,
leading to 9.3% of solar to hydrogen efficiency [55]. For a solar-powered PV-PEMEL, a system
developed an optimization approach that raised the hydrogen generation efficiency to 12%
[56].
In summary, previous solar hydrogen systems have reached solar-to-hydrogen efficiencies
of less than 7% without any optimization or direct linking. This paper has up to 5.43% of its
overall system efficiency: achieved when designing a PV system to the same capacity as the
PEMEL.

PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772 July 20, 2023 18 / 24

PLOS ONE Design and analysis of PV/WT for hydrogen production using a PEM electrolyzer: Innovations in green technology

Fig 16. Characteristics of voltage and current output at 12 m/s and zero pitch angle: (a) Voltage Level (PEMEL), (b)
Current Level (PEMEL).
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772.g016

Conclusions
This research examines the production of hydrogen from water electrolysis using a PEMEL
with solar and wind energies, which is essential in today’s world. PEMEL is more advantageous
than other types of electrolyzers during to its ability to quick-starting which is important in
renewable energy systems because of variances in irradiances for solar energy and wind speeds
for WTs. This paper used the P&O MPPT to maximize the output power and applied it to the
buck controller using low incremental steps to get the fast response of the system. This paper
designed the WT for approximately double the capacity of the PEMEL using variable wind
speed from 10 to 14 m/s and zero pitch angle. The solar station uses variable irradiance from
600 to 1000 W/m2 and fixed temperature which is equal to 25˚C. In addition, the PV system
was designed for about equivalent to the load of the PEMEL. The efficiency of wind power in
extracting hydrogen is three times larger than solar energy in extracting hydrogen. This
research measured the input, output, and efficiency of the P&O MPPT system. As well as this

PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772 July 20, 2023 19 / 24

PLOS ONE Design and analysis of PV/WT for hydrogen production using a PEM electrolyzer: Innovations in green technology

Fig 17. Production rate of hydrogen with variance wind speed from 10 to 14 m/s
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772.g017

paper showed the characteristics of voltage and current for each system. In addition, this
research made a comparison between PV and WT which powered the PEMEL separately.
According to the findings, almost two times as much WT electricity should be used to feed
PEMEL, and a PV system is as same as the capacity of PEMEL. This paper can be a reference
for designing PV or WT to feed a PEMEL in practical life.
In our opinion, future work will focus in:
I. Adding one of the energy storage solutions to solve the problem of changing output power
and characteristics as a result of variation in solar irradiance and wind speed like the BESS
and supercapacitors.
II. Development of MPPT function and making the comparison between P&O, FLC, and
Adaptive FLC to show the best method to get maximum power that can be extracted from
any renewable energy source.
III. Increasing the efficiency of solar panels so that they can produce more power in the same
area as the solar panels currently.
IV. Improvement and analysis in the case that the electrical network is connected to a green
hydrogen system that received power from a renewable energy source.
V. Increasing the stability of power electronic circuits by optimizing the design of systems.

Table 5. Comparison results between the PV system and WT system powered the PEMEL.
Type/item Rated Efficiency The flow rate of hydrogen The flow rate of hydrogen Overall system efficiency [(PV or WT
Power system (mol/s) (Nm3/h) system) + (PEM-E130)]
PV system at (1000 W/m2 and 7000 16.63% 7.517e-3 0.60655 5.43%
25˚C)
WT system at (12 m/s and 12300 57.07% 8.073e-3 0.6514 18.77%
zero pitch angle)
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772.t005

PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772 July 20, 2023 20 / 24

PLOS ONE Design and analysis of PV/WT for hydrogen production using a PEM electrolyzer: Innovations in green technology

Supporting information
S1 File.
(RAR)

Author Contributions
Conceptualization: Mohamed Awad, Ahmed I. Omar.
Data curation: Mohamed Metwally Mahmoud, Shazly Nasser Fahmy.
Formal analysis: Mohamed Awad, Shazly Nasser Fahmy.
Funding acquisition: Z. M. S. Elbarbary.
Investigation: Mohamed Awad, Z. M. S. Elbarbary.
Methodology: Loai Mohamed Ali.
Project administration: Z. M. S. Elbarbary.
Resources: Z. M. S. Elbarbary.
Software: Mohamed Awad, Loai Mohamed Ali.
Supervision: Mohamed Metwally Mahmoud, Z. M. S. Elbarbary, Ahmed I. Omar.
Validation: Mohamed Metwally Mahmoud, Shazly Nasser Fahmy, Ahmed I. Omar.
Visualization: Mohamed Awad, Mohamed Metwally Mahmoud, Shazly Nasser Fahmy,
Ahmed I. Omar.
Writing – original draft: Mohamed Awad, Ahmed I. Omar.
Writing – review & editing: Mohamed Metwally Mahmoud, Loai Mohamed Ali, Ahmed I.
Omar.

References
1. Awad M, Ibrahim AM, Alaas ZM, El-Shahat A, Omar AI. Design and analysis of an efficient photovoltaic
energy-powered electric vehicle charging station using perturb and observe MPPT algorithm. Front
Energy Res. 2022; 0: 1144. https://doi.org/10.3389/FENRG.2022.969482
2. Mokhtara C, Negrou B, Settou N, Bouferrouk A, Yao Y. Design optimization of grid-connected PV-
Hydrogen for energy prosumers considering sector-coupling paradigm: Case study of a university build-
ing in Algeria. Int J Hydrogen Energy. 2021; 46: 37564–37582. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2020.
10.069
3. Kotowicz J, Jurczyk M, Węcel D. The possibilities of cooperation between a hydrogen generator and a
wind farm. Int J Hydrogen Energy. 2021; 46: 7047–7059. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2020.11.
246
4. Schnuelle C, Wassermann T, Fuhrlaender D, Zondervan E. Dynamic hydrogen production from PV &
wind direct electricity supply–Modeling and techno-economic assessment. Int J Hydrogen Energy.
2020; 45: 29938–29952. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2020.08.044
5. Yang Y, Ma C, Lian C, Zhang Y, Pang X. Optimal power reallocation of large-scale grid-connected pho-
tovoltaic power station integrated with hydrogen production. J Clean Prod. 2021; 298: 126830. https://
doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.126830
6. Dahbi S, Aziz A, Messaoudi A, Mazozi I, Kassmi K, Benazzi N. Management of excess energy in a pho-
tovoltaic/grid system by production of clean hydrogen. Int J Hydrogen Energy. 2018; 43: 5283–5299.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2017.11.022
7. Yildirim B. Advanced controller design based on gain and phase margin for microgrid containing PV/
WTG/Fuel cell/Electrolyzer/BESS. Int J Hydrogen Energy. 2021; 46: 16481–16493. https://doi.org/10.
1016/j.ijhydene.2020.08.185

PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772 July 20, 2023 21 / 24

PLOS ONE Design and analysis of PV/WT for hydrogen production using a PEM electrolyzer: Innovations in green technology

8. Atawi IE, Kassem AM, Zaid SA. Modeling, management, and control of an autonomous wind/fuel cell
micro-grid system. Processes. 2019; 7: 1–22. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr7020085
9. Ghenai C, Salameh T, Merabet A. Technico-economic analysis of off grid solar PV/Fuel cell energy sys-
tem for residential community in desert region. Int J Hydrogen Energy. 2020; 45: 11460–11470. https://
doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2018.05.110
10. Jansen G, Dehouche Z, Bonser R, Corrigan H. Validation of autonomous renewable energy hybrid
wind/photovoltaic/RHFC prototype for the cell tower industry using MATLAB/Simulink. Mater Today
Proc. 2019; 10: 408–418. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2019.03.004
11. Attemene NS, Agbli KS, Fofana S, Hissel D. Optimal sizing of a wind, fuel cell, electrolyzer, battery and
supercapacitor system for off-grid applications. Int J Hydrogen Energy. 2020; 45: 5512–5525. https://
doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2019.05.212
12. Badoud AE, Merahi F, Ould Bouamama B, Mekhilef S. Bond graph modeling, design and experimental
validation of a photovoltaic/fuel cell/ electrolyzer/battery hybrid power system. Int J Hydrogen Energy.
2021; 46: 24011–24027. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2021.05.016
13. Hasan A, Dincer I. Development of an integrated wind and PV system for ammonia and power produc-
tion for a sustainable community. J Clean Prod. 2019; 231: 1515–1525. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
jclepro.2019.05.110
14. Douak M, Settou N. Techno-economical optimization of pv/wind/fuel cell hybrid system in adrar region
(algeria). International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning. 2021; 16: 175–180. https://
doi.org/10.18280/ijsdp.160118
15. Albarghot M, Rolland L. Comparison of experimental results with simulation of a PEM Electrolyzer pow-
ered by a horizontal wind turbine. 2017 International Conference of Electrical and Electronic Technolo-
gies for Automotive. 2017; 3–8. https://doi.org/10.23919/EETA.2017.7993232
16. Akyuz E, Oktay Z, Dincer I. Performance investigation of hydrogen production from a hybrid wind-PV
system. Int J Hydrogen Energy. 2012; 37: 16623–16630. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2012.02.
149
17. Albarghot M, Rolland L. MATLAB/Simulink modelling and experimental results of a PEM electrolyzer
powered by a solar panel. 2016 IEEE Electrical Power and Energy Conference, EPEC 2016. 2016; 2–7.
https://doi.org/10.1109/EPEC.2016.7771691
18. Zhang F, Wang B, Gong Z, Zhang X, Qin Z, Jiao K. Development of photovoltaic-electrolyzer-fuel cell
system for hydrogen production and power generation. Energy. 2023; 263: 125566. https://doi.org/10.
1016/J.ENERGY.2022.125566
19. Wang C, Nehrir MH. Power management of a stand-alone wind/photovoltaic/fuel cell energy system.
IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion. 2008; 23: 957–967. https://doi.org/10.1109/TEC.2007.
914200
20. Yodwong B, Guilbert D, Phattanasak M, Kaewmanee W, Hinaje M, Vitale G. AC-DC converters for elec-
trolyzer applications: State of the art and future challenges. Electronics (Switzerland). 2020; 9. https://
doi.org/10.3390/electronics9060912
21. Guo Y, Li G, Zhou J, Liu Y. Comparison between hydrogen production by alkaline water electrolysis
and hydrogen production by PEM electrolysis. IOP Conf Ser Earth Environ Sci. 2019; 371: 042022.
https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/371/4/042022
22. Mohamed B, Ali B, Ahmed B, Ahmed B, Salah L, Rachid D. Study of hydrogen production by solar
energy as tool of storing and utilization renewable energy for the desert areas. Int J Hydrogen Energy.
2016; 41: 20788–20806. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2016.07.034
23. Rahim AHA, Tijani AS, Fadhlullah M, Hanapi S, Sainan KI. Optimization of Direct Coupling Solar PV
Panel and Advanced Alkaline Electrolyzer System. Energy Procedia. Elsevier B.V.; 2015. https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.egypro.2015.11.464
24. Yodwong B, Guilbert D, Phattanasak M, Kaewmanee W, Hinaje M, Vitale G. Faraday’s efficiency
modeling of a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer based on experimental data. Energies (Basel).
2020; 13: 1–14. https://doi.org/10.3390/en13184792
25. IRENA. Green Hydrogen Cost Reduction. /publications/2020/Dec/Green-hydrogen-cost-reduction.
2020. Available: /publications/2020/Dec/Green-hydrogen-cost-reduction%0Ahttps://www.irena.org/-/
media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2020/Dec/IRENA_Green_hydrogen_cost_2020.pdf
26. Harrison KW, Martin GD, Ramsden TG, Kramer WE, Novachek FJ. The wind-to-hydrogen project:
operational experience, performance testing, and systems integration. Hydrogen in the Energy Mix.
2009.
27. Green MA. Photovoltaic principles. Physica E Low Dimens Syst Nanostruct. 2002; 14: 11–17. https://
doi.org/10.1016/S1386-9477(02)00354-5

PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772 July 20, 2023 22 / 24

PLOS ONE Design and analysis of PV/WT for hydrogen production using a PEM electrolyzer: Innovations in green technology

28. Kadeval HN, Patel VK. Mathematical modelling for solar cell, panel and array for photovoltaic system.
Journal of Applied and Natural Science. 2021; 13: 937–943. https://doi.org/10.31018/jans.v13i3.2529
29. Mohammed SS, Devaraj D. System with Boost Converter using. International Conference on Circuit,
Power and Computing Technologies [ICCPCT]. 2014. pp. 814–821.
30. Zaoui F, Titaouine A, Becherif M, Emziane M, Aboubou A. A Combined Experimental and Simulation
Study on the Effects of Irradiance and Temperature on Photovoltaic Modules. Energy Procedia. 2015;
75: 373–380. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.EGYPRO.2015.07.393
31. Mohamed SA, Abd El Sattar M. A comparative study of P&O and INC maximum power point tracking
techniques for grid-connected PV systems. SN Appl Sci. 2019; 1: 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1007/
s42452-018-0134-4
32. El-Sayed SEMETESARNMF from H.M. Performance Study of Photovoltaic-Water Electrolysis System
for Hydrogen Production: A Case Study of Egypt. Int J of Thermal & Environmental Engineering. 2017;
15: 129–133. https://doi.org/10.5383/ijtee.13.02.008
33. MathWorks—Makers of MATLAB and Simulink—MATLAB & Simulink. [cited 15 Apr 2023]. Available:
https://www.mathworks.com/?s_tid=gn_logo
34. Sumathi S, Ashok Kumar L, Surekha P. Solar PV and Wind Energy Conversion Systems. Green Energy
and Technology. 2015. Available: http://link.springer.com/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14941-7
35. Eldodor MM, Mousa MA, Farrag AA, El-Deib A. Small wind turbine design and implementation using
MPPT current control. 6th IEEE International Energy Conference, ENERGYCon 2020. 2020; 556–561.
https://doi.org/10.1109/ENERGYCon48941.2020.9236586
36. Rawa M, Abusorrah A, Bassi H, Mekhilef S, Ali ZM, Abdel Aleem SHE, et al. Economical-technical-envi-
ronmental operation of power networks with wind-solar-hydropower generation using analytic hierarchy
process and improved grey wolf algorithm. Ain Shams Engineering Journal. 2021; 12: 2717–2734.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asej.2021.02.004
37. Patel N, Kumar M, Narvey R. Simulation of PMSG based wind energy conversion system using MPPT.
International Journal of Innovative Research in Electrical, Electronics, Instrumentation and Control
Engineering. 2021; 9: 2321–5526. https://doi.org/10.17148/IJIREEICE.2021.9540
38. Lahfaoui B, Zouggar S, Mohammed B, Elhafyani ML. Real Time Study of P&O MPPT Control for Small
Wind PMSG Turbine Systems Using Arduino Microcontroller. Energy Procedia. 2017; 111: 1000–1009.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2017.03.263
39. Bansal RC, Bhatti TS, Kothari DP. On some of the design aspects of wind energy conversion systems.
Energy Convers Manag. 2002; 43: 2175–2187. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0196-8904(01)00166-2
40. Bilgili M, Yasar A, Simsek E. Offshore wind power development in Europe and its comparison with
onshore counterpart. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2011; 15: 905–915. https://doi.org/
10.1016/J.RSER.2010.11.006
41. Gao L, Tao T, Liu Y, Hu H. A field study of ice accretion and its effects on the power production of utility-
scale wind turbines. Renew Energy. 2021; 167: 917–928. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.RENENE.2020.12.
014
42. Sohoni V, Gupta SC, Nema RK. A Critical Review on Wind Turbine Power Curve Modelling Techniques
and Their Applications in Wind Based Energy Systems. Journal of Energy. 2016; 2016: 1–18. https://
doi.org/10.1155/2016/8519785
43. Abid R, Masmoudi F, ben Salem F, Derbel N. Modeling and simulation of conventional DC-DC convert-
ers deticated to photovoltaic applications. IREC 2016 - 7th International Renewable Energy Congress.
2016. https://doi.org/10.1109/IREC.2016.7478937
44. PCB Design Resources and Information | Altium. [cited 10 Apr 2022]. Available: https://resources.
altium.com/
45. Putri RI, Rifa’i M, Adhisuwignjo S. Design of Buck Converter For Photovoltaic System Applications.
Applied Electromagnetic Technology (AEMT). pp. 51–54.
46. Selmi T, Abdul-Niby M, Devis L, Davis A. P & O MPPT Implementation Using MATLAB / Simulink. 2014
Ninth International Conference on Ecological Vehicles and Renewable Energies (EVER). 2014.
47. Belhadj Djilali A, Hemici B, Yahdou A. Modified perturb and observe MPPT control for avoid deviation in
photovoltaic systems. Journal of Electrical Engineering. 2017.
48. Oi A. Design and Simulation of Photo-voltaic Water Pumping System for Irrigation. 2005. https://doi.org/
10.11648/j.aas.20190402.14
49. Larbes C, Aït Cheikh SM, Obeidi T, Zerguerras A. Genetic algorithms optimized fuzzy logic control for
the maximum power point tracking in photovoltaic system. Renew Energy. 2009; 34: 2093–2100.
https://doi.org/10.1016/J.RENENE.2009.01.006

PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772 July 20, 2023 23 / 24

PLOS ONE Design and analysis of PV/WT for hydrogen production using a PEM electrolyzer: Innovations in green technology

50. Saibabu T, Kumari J. Modeling and Simulation of PV Array and its Performance Enhancement Using
MPPT (P&O) Technique. IjcscnCom. 2011; 1: 9–16. Available: http://www.ijcscn.com/Documents/
Volumes/vol1issue1/ijcscn2011010103.pdf
51. Power Supply Current Limiter Circuits» Electronics Notes. [cited 4 Jul 2022]. Available: https://www.
electronics-notes.com/articles/analogue_circuits/power-supply-electronics/current-limiter-circuit.php
52. Lehman PA, Chamberlin CE, Pauletto G, Rocheleau MA. Operating experience with a photovoltaic-
hydrogen energy system. Int J Hydrogen Energy. 1997; 22: 465–470. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0360-
3199(96)00127-9
53. Shiroudi A, Deleuze MS, Mousavifar SA. Efficiency analysis of a solar photovoltaic array coupled with
an electrolyser power unit: a case study. 2015; 38: 240–249. https://doi.org/10.1080/01430750.2015.
1086676
54. Sakr IM, Abdelsalam AM, El-Askary WA, Prof A. Performance of hydrogen production process using
solar energy. The International Conference on Applied Mechanics and Mechanical Engineering. 2018;
18: 1–10. https://doi.org/10.21608/AMME.2018.34983
55. Kelly NA, Gibson TL, Ouwerkerk DB. A solar-powered, high-efficiency hydrogen fueling system using
high-pressure electrolysis of water: Design and initial results. Int J Hydrogen Energy. 2008; 33: 2747–
2764. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IJHYDENE.2008.03.036
56. Gibson TL, Kelly NA. Optimization of solar powered hydrogen production using photovoltaic electrolysis
devices. Int J Hydrogen Energy. 2008; 33: 5931–5940. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IJHYDENE.2008.05.
106

PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287772 July 20, 2023 24 / 24