A robust optimal design method of energy supply systems under uncertain energy demands has been proposed using a mixed-integer linear model for constituent equipment. However, this method takes a long computation time, and thus it can be applied only to small-scale problems. In this paper, a hierarchical optimization method is applied to two types of optimization problems for evaluating robustness to solve them efficiently. In a case study, the proposed method is applied to a cogeneration system with a complex configuration, and the validity and effectiveness of the method are ascertained.
A robust optimal design method of energy supply systems under uncertain energy demands has been proposed using a mixed- integer linear model for constituent equipment. A robust optimal design problem has been formulated as a three-level min-max- min optimization one by expressing uncertain energy demands by intervals, evaluating the robustness in a performance criterion based on the minimax regret criterion, and considering hierarchical relationships among design variables, uncertain energy demands, and operation variables. Since this problem must be solved by a special algorithm and is too difficult to solve even using a commercial solver, a hierarchical optimization approach has been applied to solve the problem but its application is limited only to small scale toy problems. In this paper, some strategies are introduced into the hierarchical optimization approach to enhance the computation efficiency for the purpose of applying the approach to large scale practical problems. In a case study, the proposed approach is applied to the robust optimal design of a cogeneration system with a complex configuration, and the validity and effectiveness of the method are ascertained.
Ahierarchical mixed-integer linear programmingmethod has been proposed to solve optimal design problems of energy supply systems efficiently. In this paper, a method of reducing model by clustering periods is proposed to search design solution candidates efficiently in the relaxed optimal design problem at the upper level. This method is realized only by clustering periods and averaging energy demands for clustered periods, while it guarantees to derive the optimal solution.
Through acase study on the optimaldesign of a cogeneration system, ti is clarified how the model reduction si effective ot enhance the computation efficiency.
A robust optimal design method of energy supply systems under uncertain energy demands has been proposed using a mixed- integer linear model for constituent equipment. A robust optimal design problem has been formulated as a three-level min-max- min optimization one by expressing uncertain energy demands by intervals, evaluating the robustness in a performance criterion based on the minimax regret criterion, and considering hierarchical relationships among design variables, uncertain energy demands, and operation variables. However, this method takes a long computation time, and thus it can be applied only to small-scale problems. In this paper, mixed-integer linear programming method in consideration of the hierarchical relationship between design and operation variables is applied to parts of the robust optimal design method which take long computation times to solve problems efficiently. In a case study, this revised method is applied to the robust optimal design of a cogeneration system with a simple configuration, and the validity and effectiveness of the method are ascertained.
For the purpose of attaining the highest performance of energy supply systems, it is important to design the systems optimally in consideration of their operational strategies for seasonal and hourly variations in energy demands. An ap- proach to efficiently solve such an optimal design problem with a large number of periods for variations in energy de- mands is to derive an approximate optimal design solution by aggregating periods with a clustering method. However, such an approach does not provide any information on the accuracy for the optimal value of the objective function. The purpose of this paper is to propose a time aggregation approach for deriving suitable aprroximate optimal design solutions and evaluting their values of the objective function accurately. This time aggregation approach is realized by combining a robust optimal design method under uncertain energy demands and a hierarchical approach for solving large scale optimal design problems. A case study is conducted for a cogeneration system with a practical configuration, and it turns out that the proposed approach enables one to evaluate effective upper and lower bounds for the optimal value of the objective function as compared with those obtained by a conventional approach.
For the purpose of attaining the highest performance of energy supply systems, it is important to design the systems optimally in consideration of their operational strategies for seasonal and hourly variations in energy demands. An ap- proach to solve such an optimal design problem with a large number of periods efficiently is to derive an approximate optimal design solution by aggregating periods with a clustering method. However, such an approach does not provide any information on the accuracy for the optimal value of the objective function. The purpose of this paper is to provide a time aggregation method for deriving aprroximate optimal design solutions and evaluting their values of the objective function. Especially, a method of evaluating design solutions is presented here using both methods of evaluating the robustness under uncertain energy demands and solving optimal design problems by a hierarchical approach. A case study is conducted for a cogeneration system with a practical configuration, and it turns out that the proposed approach enables one to evaluate effective lower bounds for the optimal value of the objective function as compared with those obtained by a conventional approach.
A mixed-integer linear programming methodutilizing the hierarchical relationship between design and operation variables proposed ot solve the optimal design problem of energy supply systems efficiently is extended ot search K-best solutions: At the upper level, the optimal values ofdesign variables are searched with operation variables relaxed to continuous ones; At the lower level, the values of operation variables are optimized with the values of design variables given tentatively; The obtained solution is used to renew K-best incumbent solutions, and the upper bound for the value of the objective function for K-best solutions is replaced correspondingly. A practical case study is conducted, and the validity and effectiveness of the proposed method are clarified.
A hierarchical mixed-integer linear programming method to solve optimal design problems of energy supply systems efficiently has been proposed. The original problem is solved by dividing it into a relaxed optimal design problem at the upper level and optimal operation problems which are independent of each other at the lower level. In this paper, a method of reducing model by time aggregation is proposed to search design solution candidates efficiently in the relaxed optimal design problem at the upper level. This method is realized only by clustering periods and averaging energy demands for clustered periods, while it guarantees to derive the optimal solution. On one hand, the method may decrease the number of design variables and costraints at the upper level, and thus the computation time at the upper level. On the other hand, it may increase the numbers of generated design solution candidates and solved optimal operation problems, and thus the computation time at both the levels. Though a case study on the optimal design of a cogeneration system, it is clarified how the model reduction is effective to enhance the computation efficiency.
A mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) method utilizing the hierarchical relationship between design and op- eration variables is proposed to solve the optimal design problem of energy supply systems efficiently: At the upper level, the optimal values of design variables are searched by the branch and bound method; At the lower level, the values of operation variables are optimized by the branch and bound method under the values of design variables given tentatively during the search at the upper level; Lower bounds for the optimal value of the objective function are evaluated, and are utilized for the bounding operations at both the levels. This method is implemented into open and commercial MILP solvers. Illustrative and practical case studies on the optimal design of cogeneration systems are conducted, and the validity and effectiveness of the proposed method are clarified.
A mixed-integer linear programming method utilizing the hierarchical relationship between design and operation variables proposed to solve the optimal design problem of energy supply systems efficiently is extended to search K-best solutions in multiobjective optimization: At the upper level, the optimal values of design variables are searched by the branch and bound method with operation variables relaxed to continuous ones; At the lower level, the values of operation variables are optimized independently at the respective periods set for variations in energy demands by the branch and bound method with the values of design variables given tentatively during the search at the upper level. A weighting method is employed for multiobjective optimization, and a weighted sum of the annual total cost and primary energy consumption is adopted as the objective function to be minimized. A practical case study on the optimal design of a cogeneration system is conducted. The validity and effectiveness of the proposed method are clarified, and the trade-off relationship between the annual total cost and primary energy consumption is confirmed.