Simulation-based energy flexibility analysis of manufacturing process chains: heat treatment in a foundry

Abstract

Increasing shares of renewable energy sources, such as photovoltaics and wind energy, challenge the grid stability. In order to ensure grid stability, demand side management is often seen as a solution. Due to its high share of more than 40% of the entire net energy consumption, the German industrial sector has to be analyzed in more detail. As many process chains in the industrial sector consist of multiple, interlinked processes, subsequent processes, for instance, can only start production when previous processes are finished or a certain amount of stock is available. The potential of process chains to provide energy flexibility has not been fully exploited yet. This work aims at providing detailed insights into the energy flexibility potential of industrial process chains. For illustration, the heat treatment process chain of a foundry was modeled and the processes were planned in an energy-flexible mode. The application of the developed approach is demonstrated in a simulation. It could be shown that the flexibility of working force influences an overall energy-flexible operation of the process chain.