Energy hub: From a model to a concept - A review

In the past, different energy systems were planned and managed independently. But nowadays the development of technologies such as efficient multi-generation system, lead to realizing the benefits of integrated energy infrastructure such as electricity, natural gas, and district heating (DH) networks, and thus a rapid movement toward multi-energy systems (MES). In such systems, different energy carriers and systems interact together in a synergistic way. However, consideration of such a concept requires a suitable tool for integrated management of the system components. Energy hub (EH) that can be defined as the place where the production, conversion, storage and consumption of different energy carriers takes place, is a promising option for integrated management of IVIES. This paper reviews the different concepts and models used in the literature for EH. The dominant structures used for energy hub models are studied and weaknesses, strengths, and challenges identified and discussed. This article, by identifying these challenges and introducing new options for use in energy hub models, discusses the potentials of energy hub concept, as a comprehensive model of sustainable energy systems in the future.