New algorithm development for real-time dynamic simulation of thermal-hydraulic grids and artificial intelligence-assisted hierarchical control of integrated concentrated solar power, steam Rankine cycle, and high-temperature steam electrolysis systems
2026 (English)In: Energy Conversion and Management, ISSN 0196-8904, E-ISSN 1879-2227, Vol. 349, article id 120921Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Hybrid concentrating solar power systems integrated with high-temperature steam electrolysis provide the concurrent generation of electricity, heat, and hydrogen with elevated overall efficiency. The real-time simulation and supervisory control of integrated thermal-hydraulic networks are limited by the lack of fluid-flexible solvers and hierarchical control frameworks that can manage multi-regime thermodynamic behavior and mode switching. This study introduces a GPU-accelerated, generic, object-oriented solver-controller framework that integrates modular component representations with a hierarchical supervisory control architecture, facilitating precise dynamic modeling and stable control of hybrid thermal-hydraulic systems. A backward-differentiation thermal-hydraulic network solver is integrated with modular component representations and a three-layer hierarchical control structure, which features a classifier-based supervisory layer for steam-source selection and adaptive regulators for load distribution, thermal storage interaction, and electrolysis thermal management. The suggested algorithm enables district heating network simulations to achieve a 40-50 % reduction in execution time under worst-case scenarios when executed on a GPU, facilitating real-time performance. The framework replicates industrial reference results with deviations under sub-percent, ensures stable operation during 45 % load ramps, restricts solar steam generator pressure variations to +/- 2 bar, maintains electrolysis thermal gradients below 10 K/cm, and produces hydrogen with a mole fraction of 0.82 at 80 % steam utilization. The suggested modeling and control framework offers a transferable foundation for the real-time development of digital twins and supervisory control of hybrid thermal-hydraulic energy systems, establishing a platform conducive to the future incorporation of optimization strategies and artificial intelligence-driven acceleration.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier BV , 2026. Vol. 349, article id 120921
Keywords [en]
Concentrated solar plant, Steam Rankine cycle, High-temperature steam electrolysis, Intelligent control, Thermal-hydraulic network simulation
National Category
Energy Engineering
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-377272DOI: 10.1016/j.enconman.2025.120921ISI: 001639006900003Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105024208996OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-377272DiVA, id: diva2:2041213
Note
QC 20260224
2026-02-242026-02-242026-02-24Bibliographically approved