Optimisation of biomass waste to energy conversion systems for rural grid-connected applications

► Maximum revenue from biomass waste system using Tabu Search optimisation. ► System for 500 cows has 150hp engine set, 1350m3 digester and 133kW boiler. ► Better utilisation of installed capacity can lead to 48% more cost savings. Several rural farms have installed anaerobic digestion systems as ma...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied energy 2013-02, Vol.102, p.1013-1021
Main Authors: Namuli, R., Jaumard, B., Awasthi, A., Pillay, P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
anaerobic digestion
animal manure management
Applied sciences
biogas
Biomass
Biomass waste
electricity
Energy
Energy conversion
Exact sciences and technology
farms
fossil fuels
heat
herd size
income
management systems
Natural energy
Optimisation
propane
Tabu Search
wastes
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Summary:► Maximum revenue from biomass waste system using Tabu Search optimisation. ► System for 500 cows has 150hp engine set, 1350m3 digester and 133kW boiler. ► Better utilisation of installed capacity can lead to 48% more cost savings. Several rural farms have installed anaerobic digestion systems as manure management systems. Such systems are also used to provide electricity and heating. In these systems, biogas is generated from anaerobic digestion of biomass waste and combusted in a boiler and an engine-generator set, to produce heat and electricity respectively. This paper calculates the size and mode of operation of a biomass waste to energy conversion system that would result in maximum revenue for a given herd size. A Tabu Search optimisation technique is used. A number of equally good solutions are generated. These solutions are plotted on a Pareto front and the best solution is defined as one that lies on this Pareto front. Optimisation of a biomass waste to energy conversion system reduces reliance on electricity from the grid. It also reduces reliance on the use of propane or other fossil fuels for heating.
ISSN:0306-2619
1872-9118
DOI:10.1016/j.apenergy.2012.06.011