A Methodology for the Design of Flexible Renewable-Based Utility Plants

摘要

The search for the design of sustainable systems for the production of chemicals and utilities based on renewable sources has been recently considered with special interest. In this work, a methodology for the design of flexible renewable-based utility plants is presented. The methodology is based on the formulation of a multiperiod mixed-integer linear model. The model uses a superstructure that includes different technologies to process biomass, solar radiation, waste, and wind and takes into account variations of renewable resources and utility demands over time. One of the main objectives of this work is to analyze how time discretization affects the design, for which the differences and implications of design under three time-horizon levels are considered. A case study for a city located in the southwest region of Mexico is taken to show the implications of optimal structure designs under annual, monthly, and weekly details of demand levels. It is shown how a yearly or monthly based optimal structure needs to be further adjusted to meet the demands given by a more detailed set of demand data related to weekly needs.