Optimal operation of a grid-connected fuel cell based combined heat and power systems using particle swarm optimisation for residential sector

Abstract

Combined heat and power (CHP) system holds great potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy cost in the residential sector. Implementing CHP systems in the residential sector may solve energy shortages, climate change and energy conservation issues. In this paper, an approach based evolutionary programming to evaluate the effect of a grid-connected fuel cell based CHP systems on the operational and performance cost of the system is developed. An economic model is developed and an economic analysis carried out for these systems. The optimisation seek to achieve the minimum cost of the system with relevant constraints for residential applications along with variable tariffs for purchasing and selling electricity from the local grid. A well-known meta-heuristic optimisation technique, particle swarm optimisation, is applied to solve the problem. The results show that the grid-connected fuel cell-based CHP system causes lower operational cost in the near future and indicate the feasibility of the proposed technique.