Optimal power production scheduling in a complex cogeneration system with heat storage

We discuss the problem of finding an optimal electricity and heat production schedule subject to the constraints imposed by the need to match simultaneously both the district heating and the electric power loads. In particular, we refer to the relatively complex cogeneration and district heating system of the city of Brescia, Italy and present: a model for the definition of the dynamic programming problem of search of the optimal electricity and heat production schedule for the next 24 hours; a method for the solution of the optimal cogeneration scheduling problem, including load subdivision among the various turbines and burners of the system (this algorithm was implemented in a software). The method, results and software are of course specific to the cogeneration system of the city of Brescia. However, several aspects of this work can be readily extended to other systems by modifying only the specific details concerning the simplified performance model based on actual data for each cogeneration unit, the constraints on the allowed ranges of operation, and the interconnections between units.