Optimal design and sensitivity analysis of a PV-WT-hydraulic storage system generation in a remote area in Tunisia

One of the major problems of renewable systems e.g. photovoltaic systems (PV) and Wind Turbine systems (WT) is the intermittence of their productions. Problems caused by the intermittency of these systems can be reduced by the insertion of an auxiliary energy source e.g. fuel cells, electrochemical storage, hydraulic energy storage system. Electrochemical storage is the most used solution but it suffers from several problems e.g. deep discharges, cost, cycles, oxidation, etc. To avoid these problems caused by this type of storage system, this paper proposes and analyzes the efficiency of the replacement of electrochemical storage by a hydraulic energy storage system by performing two Integrated Optimal Design (IOD) followed by a sensitivity analysis versus environmental data changes. This hydraulic system is associated to a renewable energy system WT/PV installed in the Thermal Processes Laboratory in Research and Technology Center of Energy (CRTEn) in Borj Cedria (a typical remote area very close to the sea). The global PV-WT-Hydraulic storage system optimal sizing is needed in order to ensure continuity and reliability of electricity supply of this specific remote area.

Automated summary

This study proposes the replacement of electrochemical storage with a hydraulic energy storage system to address the intermittence issues of photovoltaic systems and wind turbine systems. Through two integrated optimal designs and sensitivity analysis of environmental data changes, the efficiency of the hydraulic storage system is analyzed and applied to a renewable energy system installed in a remote area thermal processes laboratory.