Thermal Power Plant Generation Cost Optimization Model in Consideration of Integrated Energy System

To enhance energy utilization efficiency, lower carbon dioxide emissions from thermal power plants, and optimize their power generation costs, the concept of integrated energy systems is proposed. Unlike the conventional single-stage energy utilization methods, integrated energy systems enable multi-stage use of different energy forms, including electricity, heating, cooling, and natural gas, thereby improving overall energy efficiency through the coordinated complementary of multiple energy sources. However, the close interconnection of systems and the intricate dynamics of energy flow result in significant differences in optimal operation between integrated energy systems and traditional power grids. This paper first establishes a mathematical model of the integrated energy system in a thermal power plant. Then, based on considering the balancing power and setting output limits for individual units, a mathematical model with the thermal power generation cost as the objective function is established. Finally, the objective function is optimized by the improved genetic algorithm, the power generation cost of the comprehensive energy system of the optimized thermal power plant is 1120 thousand yuan, which can save 160 thousand yuan less than before the optimization, a decrease of 12.5% year on year, and the results verify the feasibility of thermal power generation cost optimization.