Renewable energy storage and conversion system

A method of operating a user-configurable electricity or hydrogen generation system, the method comprising:

• providing an electricity or hydrogen generation system comprising:
• a wind turbine energy source capable of supplying DC electricity to an electrolyzer through a converter to produce hydrogen from water through electrolysis;
• a hydrogen storage tank;
• a first, second and third fuel cell module capable of being supplied with hydrogen from the hydrogen storage tank and that have one electrical output each, wherein each of the first, second, and third fuel cell modules comprises at least one regenerative fuel cell, one fuel cell bypass diode, and one fuel cell circuit breaker;
• a DC machine having an armature winding and a field winding;
• a single phase or a three phase AC machine having a field winding, wherein the AC machine is mechanically connected to the DC machine through a shaft;
• a voltage transformer to connect the AC machine to an electric grid;
• high-voltage overhead or underground cables to connect the AC machine to the transformer primary and to connect the transformer secondary to the electric grid;
• and
• a controller;
• selecting to operate the electricity or hydrogen generation system either as an electricity generation system or as a hydrogen generation system,
• wherein when the user selects to operate the electricity or hydrogen generation system as an electricity generation system:
• the wind turbine energy source supplies DC electricity to the electrolyzer through the converter, the resulting hydrogen being stored in the hydrogen storage tank;
• hydrogen from the hydrogen storage tank is supplied to the first, second and third fuel cell module;
• the DC machine is operated as a DC motor, wherein the armature winding is energized by the electrical output of the first fuel cell module and the field winding is user-configured such that it is energized either by the electrical output of the second fuel cell module or by rectified electricity from the electric grid;
• the DC machine drives the AC machine through the shaft, wherein the AC machine is operated as an AC generator and is user-configured such that its field winding is energized either by the electrical output of the third fuel cell module or by rectified electricity from the electric grid;
• the electricity generated by the AC machine passes through the voltage transformer and high-voltage overhead or underground cables to the electric grid;
• and
• the controller is configured to (a) monitor the first, second, and third fuel cell modules and control the current they supply to the DC machine and AC machine by switching the fuel cell circuit breakers based on the desired output power;
• (b) provide sufficient torque to start up and drive the DC machine and AC machine;
• (c) limit the destructive starting current drained by the DC machine;
• (d) synchronize and connect the system to the electric grid;
• and (e) smooth the loading/unloading rate of the fuel cells;
• and wherein when the user selects to operate the electricity or hydrogen generation system as a hydrogen generation system:
• electricity from the electric grid passes through the voltage transformer and high-voltage overhead or underground cables to the AC machine, which is operated as an AC motor, and which has its field winding energized by rectified electricity from the electric grid;
• the AC machine drives the DC machine through the shaft, wherein the DC machine is operated as a DC generator, wherein the field-winding is energized by rectified electricity from the electric grid, and wherein electricity generated from the armature winding is fed to the first, second and third fuel cell modules;
• the first, second and third fuel cell modules generate hydrogen that is stored in the hydrogen storage tank;
• and
• the controller is configured to monitor the first, second, and third fuel cell modules.