RT23 | Developing a Digital Twin of a Multi-Sector Energy Supply System for Controller Testing

One of the major challenges of the energy transformation in general is to harmonize demand and supply of renewable energy to ensure grid stability and reliable availability of green energy at any time. Energy supply systems comprising subsystems that can generate (e.g., PV), convert (combined heat and power plants - CHPs, power to heat systems - P2H, power to gas plants - P2G), store (batteries, heat storage), and distribute energy in an optimized way can help to handle this issue. Green hydrogen generated from renewable electricity via an electrolyser (P2G) can be considered as an energy carrier to convert and store electrical energy. This way hydrogen may play a fundamental role in flexibilization, grid stability, and decarbonization of the energy system. The challenge in the implementation of an economically and ecologically sustainable energy system lies in an optimized coupling of the power and heat sectors with the aim to reduce total energy consumption of primary energy sources. Within the research project “H2 based CO2 free Factory” (H2Factory) a demonstration site for such multi domain energy systems will be developed, including retrofitted natural gas CHP plants, P2H systems, H2-, heat- and battery-storages, and heat pumps. In a second step P2G plant, H2 gas boilers and PV modules will be added. Due to the complexity of the system, a real time capable digital twin of the above-mentioned energy system will be developed. The digital twin will model an electricity-, a natural gas-, a hydrogen- as well as a heat-grid, together with generation units, storages, loads and converters of various energy sectors. This will facilitate developing and testing a system controller which enables optimized use of the beforehand mentioned assets. For implementing the digital twin, we will use the OPAL-RT system utilising its real time capabilities, enhanced modelling capabilities with Simulink/Simscape, its computing power, as well as the possibility to interface with the future controller in a CHIL-setup.