Distributed multi-generation: A comprehensive view
Gianfranco Chicco
*
, Pierluigi Mancarella
Dipartimento di Ingegneria Elettrica, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy
Received 11 September 2007; accepted 7 November 2007
Abstract
The recent development of efficient thermal prime movers for distributed generation is changing the focus of the production of electricity from
large centralized power plants to local generation units scattered over the territory. The scientific community is addressing the analysis and
planning of distributed energy resources with widespread approaches, taking into account technical, environmental, economic and social issues.
The coupling of cogeneration systems to absorption/electric chillers or heat pumps, as well as the interactions with renewable sources, allow for
setting up multi-generation systems for combined local production of different energy vectors such as electricity, heat (at different enthalpy levels),
cooling power, hydrogen, various chemical substances, and so forth. Adoption of composite multi-generation systems may lead to significant
benefits in terms of higher energy efficiency, reduced CO
2
emissions, and enhanced economy. In this light, a key direction for improving the
characteristics of the local energy production concerns the integration of the concepts of distributed energy resources and combined production of
different energy vectors into a comprehensive distributed multi-generation (DMG) framework that entails various approaches to energy planning
currently available in the literature. This paper outlines the main aspects of the DMG framework, illustrating its characteristics and summarizing
the relevant DMG structures. The presentation is backed by an extended review of the most recent journal publications and reports.
# 2007 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.
Keywords: Cogeneration; Distributed energy resources; Distributed multi-generation; Optimization; Polygeneration; Trigeneration
Contents
1. Introduction . ................................................................................ 536
2. The background frameworks . . . ................................................................... 537
2.1. Decentralized electricity generation: background concepts on distributed energy resources ...................... 537
2.2. Multi-generation background concepts: cogeneration . ............................................... 537
2.3. From cogeneration to trigeneration . . ........................................................... 538
2.4. Towards multi-generation ................................................................... 538
3. The distributed multi-generation (DMG) approach ....................................................... 539
3.1. A novel decentralized energy generation paradigm . . . ............................................... 539
3.2. Structures, components and energy flows in DMG systems . . .......................................... 539
3.2.1. Energy flows in DMG systems. . . ....................................................... 540
3.2.2. The cogeneration core. ............................................................... 540
3.2.3. The additional generation plant . . ....................................................... 541
3.2.4. The role of renewable sources, hybrid energy systems and distributed storage alternatives . . . ............. 542
3.3. Interconnection and coordination of DMG systems. . . ............................................... 543
4. Survey of recent publications within the distributed multi-generation framework.................................. 543
4.1. Approaches to decentralized and multi-generation planning and analysis. .................................. 543
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Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 13 (2009) 535–551
Abbreviations: CCHP, combined cooling heat and power; CHCP, combined heat cooling and power; CHP, combined heat and power; DCN, district cooling
network; DER, distributed energy resources; DG, distributed generation; DH, district heating; DMG, distributed multi-generation; DR, demand response; DS,
distributed storage; EDS, electricity distribution system; FC, fuel cell; GDS, gas distribution system; HDS, hydrogen distribution system; ICE, internal combustion
engine; ICT, information and communication technologies; LCA, life cycle assessment; MT, microturbine; PV, photovoltaic; PV/T, photovoltaic/thermal.
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +39 011 090 7141; fax: +39 011 090 7199.
E-mail addresses: gianfranco.chicco@polito.it (G. Chicco), pierluigi.mancarella@polito.it (P. Mancarella).
1364-0321/$ – see front matter # 2007 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.rser.2007.11.014