Optimization of Steam Utility Network Operation

• Author / Creator

  Weng, William F.

• Energy and utilities costs often represent one of the largest operating costs at manufacturing plants and they are areas where companies can reduce cost if optimal operating strategy is applied for efficient steam distribution and electricity generation. In addition to the financial incentive, environmental benefits can be achieved by reducing inefficient use of resources with optimal operating strategies.

  While there has been an extensive research activity for the optimization of utilities network, the interaction of the constraints and the feasibility of the optimal solution with uncertainties were rarely questioned. In this work, the utilities network is formulated as a chance constraint problem and the solution of the optimization problem would ensure the feasibility of the solution when facing uncertainties or when the constraints interact with one another.

  The optimal operating strategies obtained from solving the chance constraint problem are compared with the operating strategies obtained using linear programming, which do not take process uncertainties into account, and the operating conditions currently in place at the manufacturing plant. Several scenarios are also developed to demonstrate how the optimal solution would shift when process and economic conditions vary. In summary, this thesis provides a new approach to solve the utilities optimization problem that explicitly includes the desired feasible probability of the system to handle process uncertainties within the system.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Operating Strategy Optimization
  • Utility Network Operation
  • Back-off Solution
  • Planning and Sceduling Problem
  • Chance Constraints
  • Linear Programming
  • Process Economic Optimization
  • Probability Constraints

• Graduation date

  Spring 2014

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3QB9VC5X

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.