Optimization of Micro Gas Turbine Based Hybrid Systems for Remote Off-grid Communities

Inherent fuel flexibility of micro gas turbine (MGT) makes the engine a promising energy solution to remote Canadian communities that are not connected to the North American electricity grid, where bio-oils derived from locally available bio-mass may be utilized to meet local power and heat demands to reduce fossil fuel consumption. The switch to bio-oils enabled by MGTs reduces not only carbon footprints but also operating expenses due to high transportation costs of fossil fuels. However, MGT efficiencies are greatly reduced at partial loads. This work investigates the feasibility of addressing MGT efficiency drops at partial loads by incorporating MGT with a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to form a hybrid system so that the MGT can be operated at near full power at all times for better efficiencies. In this study, a daily power demand profile of a typical Canadian household is adopted for optimizing battery size and MGT operating strategies. By optimizing MGT daily start time and the engine's threshold partial load factor, the specific fuel consumption and battery size can be minimized for a specific number of households on a micro-grid supported by the MGT-based hybrid power system.