Cogeneration systems planning using structured genetic algorithms

This paper proposes a new approach to plan cogeneration systems, that of distributed energy systems. The proposed approach uses structured genetic algorithms. Cogeneration systems planning provides optimal allocation of cogeneration systems, a layout of the pipeline network structure for distributing heat energy between cogeneration systems and demand areas, and optimal heat and electric energy supply to meet the energy demands. The planning is formalized as a combinatorial optimization problem with minimizing cost of energy supply as its objectives. The traditional solution method is based on mathematical programming methods. But it is difficult to get an optimal solution as the number of areas increases because of combinatorial explosion and nonlinearity. This paper describes a new method to solve the cogeneration systems planning based on genetic algorithms. The solution of the cogeneration systems planning problem has a network structure. The proposed method applies structured genetic algorithms whose genotype has a tree structure to represent a network structure. The characteristics of the proposed method are analyzed by applying the new method to empirical data of the area around station K.