IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/energy/v335y2025ics0360544225037740.html

Digital twin enhanced hybrid modelling for main steam temperature optimization of flexible power plant

Author

Listed:
  • Cui, Zhipeng
  • Jiang, Kaijun
  • Chen, Weixiong
  • Wang, Jinshi
  • Niu, Yuguang

Abstract

Under the dual operational stresses of thermal storage system integration and rapid peak-shaving demands, the main steam system confronts escalating disturbances, amplified dynamic deviations, and prolonged regulation cycles. To address these challenges, this study proposes a digital twin-based hybrid modeling approach for optimized main steam temperature control, synergistically combining mechanism modeling, deep learning, and intelligent optimization algorithms to significantly enhance the dynamic performance of control systems. The methodology comprises three key innovations: First, a high-precision dynamic mechanism model is established through multi-physics coupling analysis of flow and heat transfer processes in the main steam system. Second, a dynamic heat absorption soft-sensing model and multi-parameter collaborative optimization framework are developed, overcoming the limitations of conventional static heat absorption characterization to achieve 54.4 % improvement in model accuracy. Third, an advanced control strategy incorporating multi-step predictive optimization of dynamic heat absorption is implemented. Simulation results demonstrate remarkable improvements compared with conventional PID control: PeakTime and TransientTime are reduced by 58.49 % and 68.15 % respectively. Under load variation scenarios, steam temperature fluctuations are dramatically suppressed from 26.9 °C to merely 0.2 °C. This research provides an innovative solution for flexible peak regulation and operational safety of coal-fired power units, demonstrating significant engineering application value.

Suggested Citation

  • Cui, Zhipeng & Jiang, Kaijun & Chen, Weixiong & Wang, Jinshi & Niu, Yuguang, 2025. "Digital twin enhanced hybrid modelling for main steam temperature optimization of flexible power plant," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 335(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:335:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225037740
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.138132
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544225037740
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.energy.2025.138132?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sun, Li & Hua, Qingsong & Shen, Jiong & Xue, Yali & Li, Donghai & Lee, Kwang Y., 2017. "Multi-objective optimization for advanced superheater steam temperature control in a 300MW power plant," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 208(C), pages 592-606.
    2. Chen, Feng & Deng, Hongyu & Zhang, Xiaoying, 2024. "IG-ENT:A innovative ensemble approach for the flow prediction of main steam system in thermal power plant," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 313(C).
    3. Wu, Xiao & Shen, Jiong & Wang, Meihong & Lee, Kwang Y., 2020. "Intelligent predictive control of large-scale solvent-based CO2 capture plant using artificial neural network and particle swarm optimization," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    4. Sekhar, Charan & Dahiya, Ratna, 2023. "Robust framework based on hybrid deep learning approach for short term load forecasting of building electricity demand," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 268(C).
    5. Xu, Jing & Cui, Zhipeng & Ma, Suxia & Wang, Xiaowei & Zhang, Zhiyao & Zhang, Guoxia, 2024. "Data based digital twin for operational performance optimization in CFB boilers," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 306(C).
    6. Elshafei, Basem & Popov, Atanas & Giddings, Donald, 2024. "Enhanced offshore wind resource assessment using hybrid data fusion and numerical models," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 310(C).
    7. Zhang, Guangming & Jiang, Kaijun & Wang, Qinghua & Zhang, Qiang & Chen, Jiyu & Xu, Jinliang & Niu, Yuguang, 2025. "Dynamic performance and control strategy of steam generation system for ultra-rapid steam production in coal-fired power plant," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 320(C).
    8. Chen, Chen & Liu, Ming & Li, Mengjie & Wang, Yu & Wang, Chaoyang & Yan, Junjie, 2024. "Digital twin modeling and operation optimization of the steam turbine system of thermal power plants," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 290(C).
    9. Liu, Zefeng & Wang, Chaoyang & Fan, Mengyang & Wang, Zhu & Fang, Fang & Liu, Ming & Yan, Junjie, 2025. "Investigation on the allowable load ramping-up rate and wet-to-dry conversion time of a 660 MW supercritical coal-fired power plant with deep peak-shaving work conditions," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 314(C).
    10. Ding, Jun-Wei & Chuang, Ming-Ju & Tseng, Jing-Siou & Hsieh, I-Yun Lisa, 2024. "Reanalysis and Ground Station data: Advanced data preprocessing in deep learning for wind power prediction," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 375(C).
    11. Peng, Simin & Wang, Yujian & Tang, Aihua & Jiang, Yuxia & Kan, Jiarong & Pecht, Michael, 2025. "State of health estimation joint improved grey wolf optimization algorithm and LSTM using partial discharging health features for lithium-ion batteries," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 315(C).
    12. Chen, Jinbao & Liu, Shaohua & Wang, Yunhe & Hu, Wenqing & Zou, Yidong & Zheng, Yang & Xiao, Zhihuai, 2024. "Generalized predictive control application scheme for nonlinear hydro-turbine regulation system: Based on a precise novel control structure," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 296(C).
    13. Xie, Yan & Liu, Ji-zhen & Zeng, De-liang & Hu, Yong & Li, Rui-lian & Zhu, Yan-song, 2024. "A dynamic hybrid model of supercritical once-through boiler-turbine unit including recirculation mode and once-through mode," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 309(C).
    14. Yu, Jianxi & Petersen, Nils & Liu, Pei & Li, Zheng & Wirsum, Manfred, 2022. "Hybrid modelling and simulation of thermal systems of in-service power plants for digital twin development," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    15. Zhou, Hong & Chen, Cheng & Lai, Jingang & Lu, Xiaoqing & Deng, Qijun & Gao, Xingran & Lei, Zhongcheng, 2018. "Affine nonlinear control for an ultra-supercritical coal fired once-through boiler-turbine unit," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 638-649.
    16. Fan, He & Su, Zhi-gang & Wang, Pei-hong & Lee, Kwang Y., 2021. "A dynamic nonlinear model for a wide-load range operation of ultra-supercritical once-through boiler-turbine units," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 226(C).
    17. Guo, Mengmeng & Hao, Yongsheng & Lee, Kwang Y. & Sun, Li, 2025. "Extended-state Kalman filter-based model predictive control and energy-saving performance analysis of a coal-fired power plant," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 314(C).
    18. Cui, Zhipeng & Xu, Jing & Liu, Wenhao & Zhao, Guanjia & Ma, Suxia, 2023. "Data-driven modeling-based digital twin of supercritical coal-fired boiler for metal temperature anomaly detection," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 278(PA).
    19. Cui, Zhipeng & Jing, Hao & Wang, Dengliang & Chen, Weixiong & Niu, Yuguang, 2025. "Dynamic characterization and predictive control of the steam-molten salt heat exchanger in charging process," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 321(C).
    20. Wu, Chunying & Sun, Lingfang & Piao, Heng & Yao, Lijia, 2024. "Adaptive fuzzy finite time integral sliding mode control of the coordinated system for 350 MW supercritical once-through boiler unit to enhance flexibility," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 302(C).
    21. Hong, Feng & Zhao, Yuzheng & Ji, Weiming & Hao, Junhong & Fang, Fang & Liu, Jizhen, 2025. "A dynamic migration route planning optimization strategy based on real-time energy state observation considering flexibility and energy efficiency of thermal power unit," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 377(PB).
    22. Liu, Ji-Zhen & Yan, Shu & Zeng, De-Liang & Hu, Yong & Lv, You, 2015. "A dynamic model used for controller design of a coal fired once-through boiler-turbine unit," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 93(P2), pages 2069-2078.
    23. Cui, Zhipeng & Jing, Hao & Wang, Dengliang & Wang, Bo & Chen, Weixiong, 2025. "Hybrid modeling-based digital twin of the direct air cooling system for operational performance optimization," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 320(C).
    24. Chen, Chen & Zhao, Chenyu & Liu, Ming & Wang, Chaoyang & Yan, Junjie, 2024. "Enhancing the load cycling rate of subcritical coal-fired power plants: A novel control strategy based on data-driven feedwater active regulation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 312(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Cui, Zhipeng & Jing, Hao & Wang, Dengliang & Wang, Bo & Chen, Weixiong, 2025. "Hybrid modeling-based digital twin of the direct air cooling system for operational performance optimization," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 320(C).
    2. Wu, Chunlei & Wang, Chao & Hou, Zongyu & Wang, Zhe, 2025. "Flexible peak shaving in coal-fired power plants: A comprehensive review of current challenges, recent advances, and future perspectives," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 327(C).
    3. Esmaeili, Mohammad & Moradi, Hamed, 2023. "Robust & nonlinear control of an ultra-supercritical coal fired once-through boiler-turbine unit in order to optimize the uncertain problem," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 282(C).
    4. Huang, Ting & Zhao, Chunhui & Zhang, Haoran, 2025. "Dynamic modeling and characteristic analysis of dry/wet state transition process for supercritical thermal power unit," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 336(C).
    5. Pang, Dawei & Niu, Yuguang & Du, Ming, 2025. "Phase lead error-based active disturbance rejection control for 1000 MW ultra-supercritical unit under flexible operation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 319(C).
    6. Fan, He & Wang, Yongzhen & Su, Zhigang & Liu, Xiaomin, 2025. "Anti-disturbance nonlinear control for wide-load operation of ultra-supercritical units using high-order sliding mode observer," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 335(C).
    7. Liu, Zefeng & Wang, Chaoyang & Fan, Mengyang & Wang, Zhu & Fang, Fang & Liu, Ming & Yan, Junjie, 2025. "Investigation on the allowable load ramping-up rate and wet-to-dry conversion time of a 660 MW supercritical coal-fired power plant with deep peak-shaving work conditions," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 314(C).
    8. Hou, Guolian & Huang, Wenchuan & Ye, Lingling, 2025. "A flexible operation scheme for ultra-supercritical unit under wide load variations based on improved EADRC and modified northern goshawk optimizer," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 334(C).
    9. Wu, Chunying & Sun, Lingfang & Piao, Heng & Yao, Lijia, 2024. "Adaptive fuzzy finite time integral sliding mode control of the coordinated system for 350 MW supercritical once-through boiler unit to enhance flexibility," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 302(C).
    10. Fan, Mengyang & Zhao, Yongliang & Liu, Ming & Yan, Junjie, 2025. "Feedwater control enhancement of thermal power plants with cascade Rankine cycle during peak shaving: Restrictions and control strategy optimization," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 338(C).
    11. Zhang, Hongfu & Gao, Mingming & Fan, Haohao & Zhang, Kaiping & Zhang, Jiahui, 2022. "A dynamic model for supercritical once-through circulating fluidized bed boiler-turbine units," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 241(C).
    12. Wu, Zhenlong & Li, Donghai & Xue, Yali & Chen, YangQuan, 2019. "Gain scheduling design based on active disturbance rejection control for thermal power plant under full operating conditions," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 185(C), pages 744-762.
    13. Wang, Congyu & Chen, Fangfang & Xu, Pengjiang & Cao, Hongmei & Wang, Wei & Sun, Qie, 2025. "Dynamic simulation of a subcritical coal-fired power plant with the emphasis on flexibility," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 392(C).
    14. Al-Momani, Ahmad & Mohamed, Omar & Abu Elhaija, Wejdan, 2022. "Multiple processes modeling and identification for a cleaner supercritical power plant via Grey Wolf Optimizer," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 252(C).
    15. Hou, Guolian & Liu, Zeyu, 2025. "Data-driven modeling for ultra-supercritical unit based on bidirectional test-time training and improved temporal convolutional network," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 326(C).
    16. Huang, Congzhi & Sheng, Xinxin, 2020. "Data-driven model identification of boiler-turbine coupled process in 1000 MW ultra-supercritical unit by improved bird swarm algorithm," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 205(C).
    17. Yin, Linfei & Zhou, Hang, 2024. "Modal decomposition integrated model for ultra-supercritical coal-fired power plant reheater tube temperature multi-step prediction," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 292(C).
    18. Jiakui Shi & Shuangshuang Fan & Jiajia Li & Jiangnan Cheng & Jie Wan & Peng E, 2023. "An Optimization Method of Steam Turbine Load Resilient Adjustment by Characterizing Dynamic Changes in Superheated Steam Energy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-15, April.
    19. Cui, Chengcheng & Zhang, Junli & Shen, Jiong, 2023. "System-level modeling, analysis and coordinated control design for the pressurized water reactor nuclear power system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 283(C).
    20. Mu, Zhiguo & Lv, You & Fang, Fang & Liu, Jizhen, 2026. "Hierarchical fuzzy RL control strategy and economic evaluation for molten salt energy storage systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 405(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:335:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225037740. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.