Industrial energy systems in view of energy efficiency and operation control

Energy efficiency improvement of industrial systems through the application of demand side management (DSM) techniques is discussed. In particular, a unified classification of efficiency of energy systems, namely performance efficiency, operation efficiency, equipment efficiency and technology efficiency (POET), is reviewed and further discussed to facilitate effective use of DSM methods in a selection of energy-intensive industrial processes. The operational level efficiency improvement is then focused on and the corresponding modelling and control by model predictive control (MPC) approach are presented. The modelling process is generalised to cater for a number of industrial processes. Robustness and convergence of MPC method when applied to periodic industrial processes are elaborated. The relationship between control and the POET is outlined thereafter to link the two such that one can make use of the POET concept to guide the controller design. Finally, case studies are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approaches presented.