Mixed-integer Modelling and Optimization of a Heat Source and a Storage System

Abstract

Thermal energy storages introduce flexibility into heating systems with numerous advantages on system performance, and operational and maintenance costs. One of the most prominent advantages is the ability to use heat sources at the operating points with higher efficiency To use the full potential of a thermal energy storage, an adequate control technique is required to control the heat sources connected to it. This paper models a heating system containing a heat source and a thermal energy storage and uses this model for optimal scheduling of the heat source. The optimal schedule is obtained through application of model predictive control which takes into account the efficiency of the heat source. A PI controller is also designed by following practical optima to serve as a baseline for comparison with the MPC-based scheduler. The obtained results show that the optimal scheduler is advantageous compared to the PI controller in terms of both energy efficiency and satisfying the posed constraints.