Programmable Process Structure Based Analysis of Hydrogen Supply Chains

Abstract

The planning and operation of Hydrogen Supply Chains (HSC) often require easily extensible, generic dynamic simulation tools. In this paper, the non-conventional modeling and simulation methodology of Programmable Process Structures is applied for the description of these process systems. Programmable Process Structures of HSC models are generated from the two general functional meta-prototypes of the method and from the description of the studied HSC network. The actual program prototypes of production, transformation, transportation, utilization and intermediate storage are copied from the meta-prototypes and filled with the locally executable declarative program code for the various classes of elements. The actual state and transition elements are parameterized and initialized according to their case-specific prototypes. The execution of the programmed HSC structures is solved by the general purpose kernel program. The application of methodology, developed in other fields, is illustrated by a fictitious, simplified HSC example. Analysis of this example model illustrates that the coordination of the hectically changing energy production of renewable resources with its seasonally and tendentiously changing demands is in need of dynamic simulation-based planning.