Combined Thermal and Power Energy Management Optimization

Abstract

The savings associated with energy management optimization of cogeneration facilities are large, and readily justify the hardware and software development costs required for their implementation. Energy Management Systems (EMS), continuously control plant energy flows, insure the simultaneous satisfaction of process heat and power requirements, energy supply contractual commitments and protect plant personnel and equipment. Differences in the thermal performance characteristics of the plant's power generation, heat recovery, and process boiler equipment, in addition to the use of various fuels, and contractual commitments for power and/or process steam, provide a wide range of considerations which must be factored into the overall energy management and its optimization. Additional EMS considerations involve unit commitment, and interfacing of closed loop energy management control with plant process controls. The availability of low cost, reliable microprocessor based plant control, monitoring powerful optimization software techniques permits the practical application of advanced energy management concepts to these cogeneration applications. This paper develops an optimization approach to this problem, applying the concepts to applications. A discussion of some of the system aspects to be considered and their implementation, is also presented.