A comprehensive optimal power and gas flow in multi-carrier energy networks in the presence of energy storage systems considering demand response programs.

• Presenting a complete model of an EH contains RES to investigate the OPGF problem. • Modeling the operation limits of CHP, and ramp rate of generators. • Considering demand response programs for both electrical and thermal loads. • Analyzing several EHs, allocated in various buses to minimize the operation costs. • Applying the GAMS software to modified integrated power and gas IEEE14-bus system. Energy hubs (EHs) can help connect different types of energy and create a multi-carrier energy network (MCEN), thereby promoting energy network operation flexibility. Due to the connection of different types of energy in these networks, reduction of operating costs has become a controversial challenge. Herein, the optimal power and gas flow (OPGF) problem in an MCEN was investigated in the presence of wind and solar power sources, electrical and thermal energy storage (EES and TES), and electrical and thermal demand response programs (EDRP and TDRP). In the mentioned EHs, the operating costs of electric and gas networks were minimized, and the operation of EHs was simultaneously investigated. All constraints of the electric and gas networks and different equipment, including combined heat and power (CHP) units, were also considered. The simulation results in GAMS showed that the simultaneous optimization of the operation cost of the case study network, including 14 electric buses and 9 gas buses, during a 24-hour period was reduced up to 4%. Also, due to the lower price of gas, its consumption has increased by about 5%, and this ultimately decreases the total cost of optimal energy distribution of the network compared to the case in which the mentioned strategies and programs were not implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]