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1957. Decommissioning and Conversion Optimization for Automated Natural Gas Distribution Grid Planning

Contributed abstract in session MA-14: Impacts of transitioning to green gases, stream Energy Markets.

Monday, 8:30-10:00
Room: 16 (building: 116)

Authors (first author is the speaker)

1. Moritz Franz
Chair of Energy Management and Power System Operation, University of Kassel
2. Florian Hirschmann
Energy Management and Power System Operation, University of Kassel
3. Lars-Peter Lauven
Chair of Energy Management and Power System Operation, University of Kassel
4. Khalil Ben Safta
Network planning and operation, Fraunhofer IEE
5. Anton Bergmann
Network planning, Fraunhofer

Abstract

Due to the energy transition towards renewables, renewable alternatives will likely replace natural gas-based heating in the medium term. Such alternatives include renewable methane and hydrogen as well as heat pumps. Currently, the expectation is that natural gas distribution grids will therefore face declining usage in many areas.

To consider this development in automated energy grid-planning approaches, an existing, pandapower-based power grid expansion algorithm is extended to natural gas networks using pandapipes and enhanced to also cover partial decommissioning of natural gas pipelines.

The decline of gas consumers in the gas grid reduces the flow rate in pipelines in some areas, possibly leading to violations of the network operational constraints while also rendering a number of assets redundant. The algorithm uses Iterated Local Search with either Hill Climbing or Late Acceptance Hill Climbing and cures violations by shutting down or adding selected pipelines or pressure controller to the grid model. If a pipe shut down results in unsupplied sinks, the algorithm uses the Delauney Triangulation to generate potential new paths to reconnect the sink.

A special optimization problem occurs if numerous natural gas consumers intend to switch to hydrogen instead. In this case, the algorithm’s task is to design a hydrogen network while leveraging existing pipelines through conversion and observing all relevant operational restrictions.

Keywords

Status: accepted

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