Optimal operation strategy for multi-carrier energy systems including various energy converters by multi-objective information gap decision theory and enhanced directed search domain method

Multi-carrier energy systems can increase energy efficiency due to the ability of these systems to consider and optimize the interactions of various energy carriers. However, the operation of these systems is somehow different from the operation of conventional single-carrier energy systems. In this paper, a new operation strategy for multi-carrier energy systems including natural gas and electricity is proposed. Various energy converters, including conventional and renewable electricity generators, gas furnace, and combined heat and power generator, are modeled in the proposed strategy to supply different electric, heat, and gas loads in the output. The proposed operation strategy employs a multi-objective information gap decision theory approach to model the uncertainty sources of multi-carrier energy systems, such as the uncertainties of demand forecasts, wind power forecast, and photovoltaic power forecast. For solving the multi-objective optimization problem, based on information gap decision theory, for multi-carrier energy system operation, an enhanced directed search domain method is proposed as a new multi-objective optimization approach. The performance of the proposed multicarrier energy system operation optimization model and the proposed enhanced directed search domain solution method is investigated on the IEEE 118-bus test system by comparing with the other alternatives.