Topics

Distributed Energy Systems

Distributed energy systems combine physical generation assets, storage, uncertain demand, and market-like coordination mechanisms. The research challenge is not only to optimize an operating point, but to do so while respecting device dynamics, heat-power coupling, uncertainty, and the communication limits of large energy networks.

This page focuses on energy-system work in the group. Related optimization and networked-systems methods appear on their own pages when the main contribution is methodological rather than energy-specific.

Economic Dispatch and Unit Commitment

Economic dispatch asks how a set of distributed generators should share power demand while minimizing operating cost and respecting technical constraints. In distributed settings, the problem becomes especially challenging because generation units may be heterogeneous, demands may be uncertain, and coordination must be achieved without relying on a single centralized controller.

Our work develops optimization-based scheduling and dispatch methods for energy networks, with emphasis on combined heat-and-power operation and robust operation under demand uncertainty.

Robust unit schedule for distributed energy generation
Scheduling structure for distributed generation under operational constraints.

Representative Publications:

  1. M. Sharf, I. Romm, M. Palman, D. Zelazo, and B. Cukurel, “Economic Dispatch of a Single Micro-Gas Turbine Under CHP Operation with Uncertain Demands,” Applied Energy, 309:118391, 2022.
    Sharf2021b_J.pdf DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.118391 Sharf2021b_J.bibtex
  2. N. Peleg, “Economic Dispatch for a Network of Micro-Gas Turbines,” mastersthesis, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Aerospace Engineering Department, 2022.
    Peleg2022.pdf Peleg2022.bibtex
  3. J. F. Rist, M. F. Dias, M. Palman, D. Zelazo, and B. Cukurel, “Economic Dispatch of a Single Micro-Gas Turbine Under CHP Operation,” Applied Energy, 200:1–18, 2017.
    Rist2016_J.pdf DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2017.05.064 Rist2016_J.bibtex
  4. J. F. Rist, M. F. Dias, D. Zelazo, B. Cukurel, and M. Palman, “Optimal Combined Heat and Power Integration of a Micro-Gas Turbine Unit in Distributed Energy Generation,” in 57th Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences , Tel-Aviv, Israel, Feb. 2017.
    Rist2017.pdf Rist2017.slides Rist2017.bibtex

Micro-Gas Turbine and CHP Modeling

Combined heat-and-power systems require control and optimization models that capture both electrical and thermal outputs. In collaboration with the Turbomachinery and Heat Transfer Laboratory, we study micro-gas-turbine operation as a concrete platform for connecting energy management algorithms with detailed device dynamics.

The resulting models support dispatch decisions that account for transient behavior, thermal coupling, and uncertainty in both electrical and heat demand.

State transition model for micro-gas turbine operation
State-transition view used for micro-gas-turbine dispatch and scheduling.

Representative Publications:

  1. M. Sharf, I. Romm, M. Palman, D. Zelazo, and B. Cukurel, “Economic Dispatch of a Single Micro-Gas Turbine Under CHP Operation with Uncertain Demands,” Applied Energy, 309:118391, 2022.
    Sharf2021b_J.pdf DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.118391 Sharf2021b_J.bibtex
  2. J. F. Rist, M. F. Dias, M. Palman, D. Zelazo, and B. Cukurel, “Economic Dispatch of a Single Micro-Gas Turbine Under CHP Operation,” Applied Energy, 200:1–18, 2017.
    Rist2016_J.pdf DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2017.05.064 Rist2016_J.bibtex
  3. J. F. Rist, M. F. Dias, D. Zelazo, B. Cukurel, and M. Palman, “Optimal Combined Heat and Power Integration of a Micro-Gas Turbine Unit in Distributed Energy Generation,” in 57th Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences , Tel-Aviv, Israel, Feb. 2017.
    Rist2017.pdf Rist2017.slides Rist2017.bibtex

Off-Grid Management and Validation

Off-grid and islanded systems expose the central systems problem in energy management: local decisions must maintain reliability while balancing renewables, storage, and controllable loads. Hardware-in-the-loop environments and smart sensing platforms make it possible to test these ideas against realistic device and network behavior.

This line of work connects energy management, monitoring, and validation, and provides an application setting for the broader distributed optimization tools developed in the group.

Hardware-in-the-loop environment for energy systems
Hardware-in-the-loop environment for testing energy-management strategies.

Representative Publications:

  1. F. Ulmer, “Smart Sensors for Monitoring for the Electric Power Network,” mastersthesis, ETH, 2021.
    Ulmer2021.pdf Ulmer2021.bibtex
  2. D. Zelazo, R. Dai, and M. Mesbahi, “An energy management system for off-grid power systems,” Energy Systems, 3(2):153–179, 2012.
    Zelazo2011a_J.pdf DOI: 10.1007/s12667-012-0050-4 Zelazo2011a_J.bibtex

Related Publications:

  1. M. Sharf, I. Romm, M. Palman, D. Zelazo, and B. Cukurel, “Economic Dispatch of a Single Micro-Gas Turbine Under CHP Operation with Uncertain Demands,” Applied Energy, 309:118391, 2022.
    Sharf2021b_J.pdf DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.118391 Sharf2021b_J.bibtex
  2. N. Peleg, “Economic Dispatch for a Network of Micro-Gas Turbines,” mastersthesis, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Aerospace Engineering Department, 2022.
    Peleg2022.pdf Peleg2022.bibtex
  3. F. Ulmer, “Smart Sensors for Monitoring for the Electric Power Network,” mastersthesis, ETH, 2021.
    Ulmer2021.pdf Ulmer2021.bibtex
  4. J. F. Rist, M. F. Dias, M. Palman, D. Zelazo, and B. Cukurel, “Economic Dispatch of a Single Micro-Gas Turbine Under CHP Operation,” Applied Energy, 200:1–18, 2017.
    Rist2016_J.pdf DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2017.05.064 Rist2016_J.bibtex
  5. J. F. Rist, M. F. Dias, D. Zelazo, B. Cukurel, and M. Palman, “Optimal Combined Heat and Power Integration of a Micro-Gas Turbine Unit in Distributed Energy Generation,” in 57th Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences , Tel-Aviv, Israel, Feb. 2017.
    Rist2017.pdf Rist2017.slides Rist2017.bibtex
  6. D. Zelazo, R. Dai, and M. Mesbahi, “An energy management system for off-grid power systems,” Energy Systems, 3(2):153–179, 2012.
    Zelazo2011a_J.pdf DOI: 10.1007/s12667-012-0050-4 Zelazo2011a_J.bibtex