Abstract
In this paper, a method that utilizes the reinforcement learning (RL) technique is proposed to establish an optimal operation plan to obtain maximum power output from a trigen generator. Trigen is a type of combined heat and power system (CHP) that provides chilling, heating, and power generation, and the turbo expander generator (TEG) is a generator that uses the decompression energy of gas to generate electricity. If the two are combined to form a power source, a power generation system with higher efficiency can be created. However, it is very difficult to control the heat and power generation amount of TEG and trigen according to the flow rate of natural gas that changes every moment. Accordingly, a method is proposed to utilize the RL technique to determine the operation process to attain an even higher efficiency. When the TEG and trigen are configured using the RL technique, the power output can be maximized, and the power output variability can be reduced to obtain high-quality power. When using the RL technique, it was confirmed that the overall efficiency was improved by an additional 3%.
Highlights
Countries around the world are continuing their efforts to prevent environmental changes caused by global warming
Compared with the exclusive generation by turbo expander generator (TEG), the results show that the power output increases, and the variation of average monthly power output decreases
The energy efficiency was enhanced when trigen provided the required heat for power generation in TEG, and additional power was generated based on the capacity of trigen, whereby the total energy efficiency was maximized according to the improvement of the efficiency of the overall power generation system and the maximization of the power output
Summary
Countries around the world are continuing their efforts to prevent environmental changes caused by global warming. South Korea is implementing various policies to prevent global warming in line with this global trend As part of this effort, research is conducted on the improvement of energy efficiency [1]. This is considered as an effective method to slow down global warming by limiting CO2, known as the main cause of global warming As part of this ongoing research, a trigen system has been developed that can provide chilling, heating, and power generation with the use of a gas engine [2]. Methods are proposed to optimize electrical and thermal energy, and to maximize electrical power output by linking TEG and trigen.
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