Simulation and Optimization of Energy Systems

Recently, several countries have been talking about net-zero carbon emission plans by 2050 and 2060. On the other hand, several countries and territories are still suffering from energy supply shortage. Regardless of whether the goal is to achieve a fully green energy supply or just achieve a sustainable and affordable energy production, there will be a need for designing efficient energy systems. Achieving an energy-efficient system design passes through three stages: (1) modeling, (2) optimization, and (3) control. Accurate modeling is required to predict the system’s performance and identify the primary variables affecting the system’s performance. The model is then used to conduct an optimization study to achieve optimal design and/or optimal operation of the system. Finally, a control scheme is usually integrated with energy system to maintain its optimal operation status. This chapter starts by discussing and comparing the two major modeling approaches, physics-based models and data-driven models. Then, it gives an overview on the optimization problem formulation and presents the main optimization methods and approaches. Finally, this chapter briefly discusses two commonly employed control methods for energy systems.