Application of genetic algorithms to multi-time interval scheduling for daily operation of a cogeneration system

This paper proposes a multi-time interval scheduling for the daily operation of a two-cogeneration system connected with auxiliary devices, which include auxiliary boilers, heat storage tanks, electricity chargers and independent generators. The efficiency of a cogeneration system depends on the production of thermal and electric energy which is modelled with a quadratic equation obtained from the least square method. The genetic algorithm (GA) is used to establish the operation scheduling for the cogeneration system. For this complex scheduling problem with multi-variables in multi-time intervals, the optimal operation cost for the cogeneration system obtained with GA is much lower than the initial feasible solution obtained by trial and error