The energy and fresh water resources restrain the development of the hydrogen production by the electrolysis of the water. The production of the fresh water and the hydrogen by using the ocean energy can best use the marine resources. An integrated system is proposed for generating the fresh water and the hydrogen from the tidal current energy to meet the daily requirement of the fresh water and also the demand of the hydrogen produced from the water by the electrolysis. A simulation model is established to verify the feasibility of the system. The control strategy of the power generation equipment and the operation mode for high efficiency is discussed. The simulation results of a 60 kW tidal current power generator integrated with the reverse-osmosis units and the electrolyzers show that the system enjoys a good stability and can theoretically produce about 90 tons of the fresh water and about 55 Nm³ of the hydrogen per day.

tidal current energy conversion  /  desalination-hydrogen cogeneration  /  energy management