Optimal operation of a micro-combined cooling, heating and power system driven by a gas engine

The objective of this paper is to investigate the problem of energy management and optimal operation of cogeneration system for micro-combined cooling, heating and power production (CCHP). The energy system mainly consists of a gas engine, an adsorption chiller, a gas boiler, a heat exchanger and an electric chiller. On the basis of an earlier experimental research of the micro-CCHP system, a non-linear-programming cost-minimization optimization model is presented to determine the optimum operational strategies for the system. It is shown that energy management and optimal operation of the micro-CCHP system is dependent upon load conditions to be satisfied and energy cost. In view of energy cost, it would not be optimal to operate the gas engine when the electric-to-gas cost ratio (EGCR) is very low. With higher EGCR, the optimum operational strategy of the micro-CCHP system is independent of energy cost.