A review of the calculation methods of optimal power flow in integrated energy systems

TL;DR

This paper reviews current methods for optimal power flow in integrated energy systems, highlighting challenges, gaps, and future research directions for improving modeling, safety, and efficiency in multi-energy networks.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of OPF calculation methods in IES, identifying gaps in coupled modeling and proposing future research directions.

Findings

Existing models lack flexibility for multi-objective optimization

Coupled power flow modeling for electricity, heat, and gas is underdeveloped

Energy storage systems can improve efficiency and flexibility

Abstract

The analysis of Integrated Energy Systems (IES) is crucial for enhancing the comprehensive and complementary utilization of clean energy across China, significantly impacting the effective planning, operational coordination, and security control of the IES network. This paper presents a systematic review of the current research on optimal power flow (OPF) within IES, addressing the spatiotemporal interrelationships and coupled co-supply among primary energy processes such as electricity, gas, and heat (cooling). It highlights the challenges and future directions in this field, underscoring the lack of comprehensive studies on coupled power flow modeling for electricity-heat-gas systems and the need for more robust modeling approaches that align with practical engineering applications. Furthermore, the paper discusses the potential of multi-target energy storage systems to enhance energy consumption efficiency and flexibility in energy resource management. The existing models and algorithms for target power flow and optimal power flow are critiqued for their lack of flexibility and comprehensiveness, particularly in handling multi-objective flows and ensuring system safety and reliability. The study emphasizes the necessity for further development of safety and reliability assessment frameworks to support the evolving demands of integrated energy systems.