Optimal scheduling of integrated energy system considering exergoeconomic performance

Scheduling of integrated energy system (IES) is crucial for coordinating multiple components to achieve optimal operation of the entire system. Conventional scheduling methods only consider one of operating efficiency or economy, which makes it difficult to comprehensively improve the operational quality of the IES. To this end, this paper proposes an exergoeconomic optimization scheduling method for the IES based on a novel performance indicator, namely the specific exergy cost. Defined as the ratio of the exergy cost and the exergy production, the specific exergy cost reflects the quantity and quality distributions of both fuel and product flows, thus integrates exergy efficiency and economic factors into a unified framework. Optimal loading of each equipment is then determined through minimizing the specific exergy cost indicator. Simulation results on a typical combined cooling, heating and power IES show that the proposed method reduces the specific exergy cost by 9.60 % and increases exergy efficiency by 4.66 % compared with conventional economic-based scheduling. In-depth investigations are carried out under internal operating parameters and external market condition changes, which further demonstrate the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed exergoeconomic scheduling approach.