Course info

Description:
Energy is a resource that needs to be managed and decisions need to be made on production, storage, distribution and consumption of energy. Determining how much to produce, where and when, and assigning resources to needs in the most efficient way is a problem that has been addressed in several fields. There are available tools that can be used to formulate and solve this kind of problems. Using them in energy management problems requires starting with the basics of math programming techniques, addressing some standard production planning problems, and adapting the solutions to new particular situations of interest.
A first issue is revisiting the modelling concept. The model is a simplified and limited representation of our reality. Complex multi-level problems may need different models and models valid at the operational level (control) may not be useful at the tactical or strategic levels (scheduling and planning). Thus, when addressing energy planning problems, detailed physical models based on differential equations will be replaced by algebraic equations expressing the basic relations between lumped parameters.
Students attending the course will learn how to recognise and formulate production planning problems, and how to solve them using existing software. Since there are many powerful solvers now available, solving the problem may reduce to properly modelling it. The software GAMS will be introduced and students will use it to solve diverse planning cases during supervised hands-on sessions. The Excel Solver will be also used for illustrative and comparative purposes, and other solvers and modelling systems that are also available will be commented. The examples range from the classical transport problem to recent MILP models proposed for the optimization of energy supply chains, and they will allow discussing the choice of objective function, the representation of discrete decisions, using formulation tricks and checking the results.
The course is intended for those students that, having a general knowledge in mathematics, simulation and optimization, have a very limited experience in math programming and production management, and need to be introduced to these tools for energy systems planning and optimization.

Organizer:
Professor Josep M. Guerrero, Aalborg University and Assistant Professor Juan C. Vasquez, Aalborg University

Lecturers:
Associate Professor Moises Graells, Technical University of Catalonia, Associate Professor Eleonora Riva Sanseverino, University of Palermo Professor Josep M. Guerrero, Aalborg University

ECTS:
3

Time:
28-30 October 2013

Place:
Aalborg University, Pontoppidanstræde 101

Zip code:
9220

City:
Aalborg

Number of seats:
30

Deadline:
14 October 2013

Important information concerning PhD courses
We have over some time experienced problems with no-show for both project and general courses. It has now reached a point where we are forced to take action. Therefore, the Doctoral School has decided to introduce a no-show fee of DKK 5,000 for each course where the student does not show up. Cancellations are accepted no later than 2 weeks before start of the course. Registered illness is of course an acceptable reason for not showing up on those days. Furthermore, all courses open for registration approximately three months before start. This can hopefully also provide new students a chance to register for courses during the year. We look forward to your registrations.