Real-time optimisation for power generation and CHP

Operators of power generation and combined heat and power plant need to make decisions on a regular basis. Some of these decisions relate to safety, engineering and contractual matters, where there is often no room for manoeuvre; the rest could be considered as degrees of freedom in the sense that there is choice in the way that the overall objectives are met. It would be misleading, however, to conclude that the latter choices are in any sense arbitrary, they often have an impact on the overall economics of the plant. The author explains how the above constitutes a modelling and optimisation problem which can be solved in a number of ways using currently available, proven hardware and software, gives examples of applications in CHP/power-generation plants, and indicates the scale of the potential benefits, in terms of reduction in energy usage