Dynamic modeling and coordinated multi-energy management for a sustainable biogas-dominated energy hub

Low renewable energy source (RES) accommodation and energy utilization efficiency impose great challenge to reliable energy supplies for rural residents. This paper proposes an optimal coordinated multi-energy conversion and management framework with a biogas-dominated hybrid renewable microgrid for multi-carrier energy supplies in off-grid remote areas. In this framework, multi-energy multi-timeframe couplings among biomass and other renewables are modeled based on biogas digesting thermodynamics for the coordinated interaction among electricity, biogas and thermal energy carriers, and a sustainable energy hub is formulated for mapping various renewables into diversified energy loads. The proposed energy hub can facilitate mitigating the fluctuating outputs of RES by harvesting hydro-wind-solar energies into the form of biogas, and an evaluation model is proposed based on hydrodynamic networking mechanisms to calculate the state of energy (SOE) in the biogas storage. Furthermore, a hierarchical multi-energy management strategy is presented to dynamically optimize the production, conversion, storage and consumption of multi-carrier energy flows for system energy efficiency enhancement. Case studies on a stand-alone microgrid demonstration validate that the biogas yield can be improved by 31.75% with digesting thermodynamic effects, and the battery degradation cost can be reduced by at least 22.63% considering the SOE of biogas storage with hydrodynamic effects. (c) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This paper proposes an optimal coordinated multi-energy conversion and management framework with a biogas-dominated hybrid renewable microgrid for multi-carrier energy supplies in off-grid remote areas. The framework models couplings among various renewables and presents a hierarchical multi-energy management strategy to enhance energy efficiency. Case studies validate the effectiveness of the proposed framework in improving biogas yield and reducing battery degradation cost.