Power-to-X processes where renewable energy is converted into storable liquids or gases are considered to be one of the key approaches for decarbonizing energy systems and compensating for the volatility involved in generating electricity from renewable sources. In this context, the production of “green” hydrogen and hydrogen-based derivatives is being discussed and tested as a possible solution for the energy-intensive industry sector in particular. Given the sharp, ongoing increases in electricity and gas prices and the need for sustainable energy supplies in production systems, non-energy-intensive companies should also be taken into account when considering possible utilization paths for hydrogen. This work focuses on the following three utilization paths: “hydrogen as an energy storage system that can be reconverted into electricity”, “hydrogen mobility” for company vehicles and “direct hydrogen use”. These three paths are developed, modeled, simulated, and subsequently evaluated in terms of economic and environmental viability. Different photovoltaic system configurations are set up for the tests with nominal power ratings ranging from 300 kW_p to 1000 kW_p. Each system is assigned an electrolyzer with a power output ranging between 200 kW and 700 kW and a fuel cell with a power output ranging between 5 kW and 75 kW. There are also additional variations in relation to the battery storage systems within these basic configurations. Furthermore, a reference variant without battery storage and hydrogen technologies is simulated for each photovoltaic system size. This means that there are ultimately 16 variants to be simulated for each utilization path. The results show that these utilization paths already constitute a reasonable alternative to fossil fuels in terms of costs in variants with a suitable energy system design. For the “hydrogen as an energy storage system” path, electricity production costs of between 43 and 79 ct/kWh can be achieved with the 750 kW_p photovoltaic system. The “hydrogen mobility” is associated with costs of 12 to 15 ct/km, while the “direct hydrogen use” path resulted in costs of 8.2 €/kg. Environmental benefits are achieved in all three paths by replacing the German electricity mix with renewable energy sources produced on site or by substituting hydrogen for fossil fuels. The results confirm that using hydrogen as a storage medium in manufacturing companies could be economically and environmentally viable. These results also form the basis for further studies, e.g., on detailed operating strategies for hydrogen technologies in scenarios involving a combination of multiple utilization paths. The work also presents the simulation-based method developed in this project, which can be transferred to comparable applications in further studies.

Due to the high share of industry in total electricity consumption, industrial demand-side management can make a relevant contribution to the stability of power systems. At the same time, companies get the opportunity to reduce their electricity procurement costs by taking advantage of increasingly fluctuating prices on short-term electricity markets, the provision of system services on balancing power markets, or by increasing the share of their own consumption from on-site generated renewable energy. Demand-side management requires the ability to react flexibly to the power supply situation without negatively affecting production targets. It also means that the management and operation of production must consider not only production-related parameters but also parameters of energy availability, which further increase the complexity of decision-making. Although simulation studies are a recognized tool for supporting decision-making processes in production and logistics, the simultaneous simulation of material and energy flows has so far been limited mainly to issues of energy efficiency as opposed to energy flexibility, where application-oriented experience is still limited. We assume that the consideration of energy flexibility in the simulation of manufacturing systems will amplify already known pitfalls in conducting simulation studies. Based on five representative industrial use cases, this article provides practitioners with application-oriented experiences of the coupling of energy and material flows in simulation modeling of energy-flexible manufacturing, identifies challenges in the simulation of energy-flexible production systems, and proposes approaches to face these challenges. Seven pitfalls that pose a particular challenge in simulating energy-flexible manufacturing have been identified, and possible solutions and measures for avoiding them are shown. It has been found that, among other things, consistent management of all parties involved, early clarification of energy-related, logistical, and resulting technical requirements for models and software, as well as the application of suitable methods for validation and verification are central to avoiding these pitfalls. The identification and characterization of challenges and the derivation of recommendations for coping with them can raise awareness of typical pitfalls. This paper thus helps to ensure that simulation studies of energy-flexible production systems can be carried out more efficiently in the future.

Textured polycrystalline NiMnGa alloys were prepared by directional solidification. Alloys were chosen to have either the 7M or the 5M modulated martensitic structure after proper heat treatment. Mechanical training allowed to reduce the twin boundary pinning stress to below the magnetically induced stress. Thus, magnetic field induced changes in the mechanical behaviour could be demonstrated. The conditions of preparation and mechanical training will be discussed together with their influence on structure, microstructure, and the magneto-mechanical behaviour.