This paper presents a literature review on optimal control techniques for energy management and control of microgrids. A classification of references linked with the design and development of optimal energy management systems (EMS) is made, considering mainly the objective functions to be solved and also the optimization techniques used for solving optimal control problems (OCPs) related with reliable operations of microgrids. A hierarchical control architecture for the development of EMS is the most commonly found in literature, which implies the necessity of a telecommunications infrastructure to communicate a distributed control layer with an upper layer, where the optimization of the microgrid operation is done. Typically, this layer is developed at an entity called microgrid central controller (MGCC). A general architecture for optimal EMS is provided and analyzed in detail, as well as its future perspectives.

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A system based on Artificial Neural Networks (ANN ) is proposed to detect and diagnose multiple leaks in a pipeline leaks by recognizing the pattern of the flow using only two measurements. A nonlinear mathematical model of the pipeline is exploited for training, testing and validating the ANN -based system. This system was trained with tapped delays in order to include the system dynamics. Early results demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach in the detection and diagnosis of simultaneous multiple faults.

Abstract:In this paper, the design of a system providing electricity by coupling photovoltaic/thermal (PVT) collectors and a wind turbine (WT), sanitary hot water (SHW) coming from the PVT and evacuated tube collectors (ETCs) and fresh water (FW) produced in two seawater desalting facilities (membrane distillation, MD, and reverse osmosis, RO), has been carefully analyzed by means of a dynamic model developed in TRNSYS ® . This analysis is compulsory to operate a lab-scale pilot plant that is being erected at Zaragoza, Spain. A new model-type has been included in TRNSYS ® in order to include the MD unit in the scheme. A sensitivity analysis of some free-design variables, such that the ETC surface, PVT and ETC tilt, water storage tank, batteries capacities, and mass flow rates delivered to the SHW service and/or feeding the MD unit has been performed in order to propose the definite design of the scheme. The proposed base case was able to produce up to 15,311 L per year in the MD system and cover an electric energy demand of 1890 kWh. Coverage of SHW, water (including RO and MD) and power is respectively 99.3%, 100% and 70%. However, daily and yearly assessment of FW, SHW and power produced with the optimized design gave a better coverage of water and energy demands for a typical single family home. The improved and definite design was able to increase its MD production in 35% and the electric energy in 7% compared with base case.