A preview of this full-text is provided by Wiley.
Content available from Advanced Sustainable Systems
This content is subject to copyright. Terms and conditions apply.
RESEARCH ARTICLE
www.advsustainsys.com
Configuration and Operation Optimization for Industrial
Steam Power System Sustainable Retrofit Considering
Renewable Energy Integration
Zeqiu Li,* Liujian Yang, Ying Tian, and Xiuhui Huang
Renewable energy integration and operational optimization are crucial in
energy sustainability and decarbonization, especially for industrial steam
power systems (SPS). This study establishes an SPS superstructure that
integrates wind, solar, and biomass energy. A mixed-integer nonlinear
programming (MINLP) model is developed to determine an optimal retrofit
strategy that minimizes the life cycle cost, which includes carbon emission
cost and energy cost. To solve this high-dimensional complex optimization
problem, a multistage strategy fusion differential evolution algorithm with
dynamic partitioning of the SVM feasible domain (SVM-MS-DE) is developed.
The results from the optimal strategy demonstrate a 9.02% reduction in the
system’s total cost and a 9.64% decrease in carbon emission through the
incorporation of wind and solar energy. Additionally, the sensitivity analysis on
biomass ratio, carbon emission price, energy demand, and carbon emission
limits reveal that the region can contribute significantly to renewable energy
initiatives. Several recommended policies are provided to encourage
enterprises to move towards sustainable development.
1. Introduction
SPS is an essential energy supply system for chemical pro-
duction processes. Conventional SPS consume primary energy
to convert into steam, heat, and power for production, lead-
ing to a significant energy consumption and substantial CO2
emissions.[1]Therefore, SPS holds significant research value in
energy conservation and CO2emissions reduction. System inte-
gration and operational optimization are the principal technical
Z. Li, L. Yang, X. Huang
School of Energy and Power Engineering
University of Shanghai for Science and Technology
Shanghai 200093, China
E-mail: lizeqiu@usst.edu.cn
Z. Li
Shanghai Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow and Heat Transfer in Power
Engineering
Shanghai 200093, China
Y. T i a n
School of Optical-Electrical and Computer Engineering
University of Shanghai for Science and Technology
Shanghai 200093, China
The ORCID identification number(s) for the author(s) of this article
can be found under https://doi.org/10.1002/adsu.202400064
DOI: 10.1002/adsu.202400064
approaches for achieving energy sav-
ings and emissions reduction in SPS.[2]
Considering the advantages of renew-
able energy in terms of economics
and environmental friendliness, the in-
tegration of renewable energy into tra-
ditional SPS holds potential value in
achieving low-carbon sustainable oper-
ation of the system. This aligns with
the direction of global energy struc-
ture adjustments.[3]Although system op-
timization based on mathematical pro-
gramming methods can simultaneously
determine the optimal retrofit structure
and operational strategy, the increasing
scale and complexity of the energy struc-
ture make this mathematical model more
intricate and challenging to solve.[4]
Multiple retrofitting methods are be-
ing studied to optimize energy systems.[5]
One approach involves integrating wind,
biomass, and solar energy based on local
geography and climate to achieve multi-energy comple-
mentarity.[6]Another approach involves integrating renew-
able energy development and energy storage modules within
the system, and scheduling optimal energy storage utilization
based on varying periods and cycles to guarantee continuous
supply, safety, and efficiency.[7,8 ]Although it is undeniable that
increasing the use of renewable energy is beneficial for the
environment, the economic indicators remain the fundamental
driving force for enterprises to carry out the energy structure
retrofit. Therefore, another crucial issue that energy structure
transformation faces is how to establish a comprehensive sus-
tainable economic evaluation index to provide a basis for the
determination of system optimal retrofit strategy.
The carbon footprint of SPS is an important indicator for as-
sessing the sustainability of a production process. The commonly
used evaluation methods include the life cycle assessment (LCA)
and the emission factor approach.[9,10]The LCA method pro-
vides a comprehensive understanding of the ecological impacts
of system operation by tracking and analyzing carbon emissions
throughout the entire life cycle of the energy system.[11]It eval-
uates all potential environmental impacts, from input to output
processes. However, accurately defining all potential sources of
emissions over the entire life cycle of large-scale and complex
systems such as SPS can be challenging.[12]The emission fac-
tor method is a widely used and affective approach for estimat-
ing carbon emission. By constructing activity data and emission
Adv. Sustainable Syst. 2024,8, 2400064 © 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH
2400064 (1 of 20)
