10.

Optimal Generator Scheduling

10.1 Aim of the experiment

Optimal generator scheduling for thermal power plants.

10.2 Theoretical background

Economic dispatch solution has two different problems to be solved

1. Unit commitment or pre-dispatch problem to find the specified margin of operating

reserve over a specified period of time

2. On-line economic dispatch wherein it is required to distribute the load among the
generating units actually paralleled with the system and being in running condition

In the later, the minute-to-minute generating schedule is worked out to minimize the total
cost.

System constraints are:

1. Equality constraints
2. Inequality constraints

Equality constraints:

These are basic power flow equations given by,

Total generation = total demand + loss

Inequality constraints

These are of two types :

• Hard type: transformer tap limits, generator MW limits, switchable var limits.

Generator constraints:

MVA loading should be within the acceptable limits

(MW)*(MW) + (MVAR)*(MVAR) <= (MVArate)* (MVArate)

Pgmin <= Pgen <= Pgmax

Power System Simulation Lab Manual Optimal Generator Scheduling

Qgmin <= Qgen <= Qgmax

Tap constraints

tap_min <= tap <= tap_max

• Soft type : Voltage magnitude, phase angle separation, to certain extent the line
loading.

Voltage constraints:

|Vpmin| <= |Vp| <= |Vpmax|

Line loading constraints

L_loading <= Lmax_loading

10.2.1 Economic dispatch neglecting losses.

Economic dispatch is the problem of minimization of generation cost which is given by

ng
Min F T = ∑Fn
n =1

Subject to the constraints,

ng

PD = ∑Pn
n =1

Where,
PD is the total demand
th
Pn is the generation of the n generator
ng is the total no. of generators

Making use of Lagrangian multiplier,

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ng
F =FT + λ(PD − ∑Pn)
n=1

Where λ is the Lagrangian multiplier

Optimal operating condition is obtained by differentiating F with respect to the generation

Pn and equating,

d F1 d F 2 d F ng
= = −−− = =λ
d P1 d P 2 d P ng

Here dFn/dPn is the incremental production cost of plant n in Rs per MWhr.

Algorithm
• Assume a suitable value of λ(0). This value should be more than the largest
intercept of the incremental cost characteristics of the various generators.

• Compute the individual generations P1, P2, … Pn corresponding to incremental

cost of production. In case generation at any bus is violated, fix it to either
minimum or maximum.

• Check the equality, if not make a second guess of λ and proceed. Stop when the
generation and demand match with a small error.

Example

2 generators of 100 MW each with incremental characteristics

dF1/dP1 = 2+0.012P1
dF2/dP2 = 1.5+0.015P2
P1min = 10
PD = 150
Assume Lambda = 2.8
P1 = (2.8-2.0)/0.012 = 66.6

P2 = (2.8-1.5)/0.015 = 86.6

P1+P2 = 66.6+86.6 = 153.2

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Generation is greater than the demand and hence the next approximation to λ should be
less than 2.8.

Consider the λ value as 2.7

P1 = 58.4 P2 = 80. PTotal = 138.4 < 150

λ Should be greater than 2.7, say 2.75 PTotal = 62.5+83.4 = 145.9 < 150

With λ = 2.78, P1 = 65 and P2 = 85.4 = 150.4

Hence any value between 2.77 and 2.78 is appropriate.

10.2.2 Economic dispatch taking into account the transmission losses

Economic dispatch is the problem of minimization of generation cost which is given by

ng
Min F T = ∑Fn
n =1

Subject to the constraints,

ng

PD +PL − ∑Pn = 0
n=1

Where,
PD is the total demand
PL is the total system loss which is assumed to be a function of generation
th
Pn is the generation of the n generator
ng is the total no. of generators

Making use of the Lagrangian Multiplier λ, the auxiliary function is

F = FT + λ (PD + PL - Pgentotal)

The partial differential of this expression when equated to zero gives the condition of
optimal load dispatch

∂F ∂ ∂ 
= F T + λ  P L − 1 = 0
∂ Pn ∂ Pn  ∂ Pn 

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Hence ∂PL / ∂Pn is known as the incremental transmission loss at plant n and λ is known
as the incremental cost of received power
d Fn ∂
+ λ PL = λ
d Pn ∂ Pn

Above equation is a set of n equation with (n+1) unknowns. Here n generations are
unknown and λ is also unknown. These equations are known as co-ordination equations
because they co-ordinate the incremental transmission losses with the incremental cost
of production.

To solve the above equations, the loss formula equation is expressed in terms of
generations and is approximately expressed as

P L = ∑ ∑ P m B mn P n + ∑ B mo P m + B oo
m n m

Where Pm and Pn are the source loading and Bmn is the transmission loss coefficient.

Loss coefficient computation is based on the following assumptions

1. The equivalent load current at any bus remains a constant complex function of the
total equivalent load current.
2. The generator bus voltage magnitude and angles are constant
3. The power factor of each source is constant

The solution of the co-ordination equation required the calculation of ∂PL / ∂Pn which is
obtained as
∂ P L
= 2∑ B mn P + B no
∂ P n m
m

Also

d Fn
= F nn P n + f n
d Pn

The co-ordination equations can be rewritten as

F nn P n + f n + λ [ Σ 2 B mn P m + B no ] = λ

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Collecting all coefficients of Pn, we obtain

Pn (F nn + 2λBnn) = −λ( ∑ 2Bmn Pm + Bno) − f n + λ

m≠ n

Solving for Pn, we obtain

1 − f n − ∑ 2 B mn P m − B no
λ m ≠n
Pn =
F nn + 2
B nn
λ

Algorithm

1. Assume a suitable value of λ. This value should be more than the largest intercept of
the incremental production cost of various generators.
2. Calculate the generations based on equal incremental production cost
3. Calculate the generation at all the buses using the equation

1 − f n − ∑ 2 B mn P m − B no
λ m ≠n
Pn =
F nn + 2
B nn
λ

4. Check if the difference in power at all generator buses between two consecutive
iterations is less than a prespecified value. If not, go back to step 3.

5. Calculate the losses using the relation

PL = ∑ ∑ P n B mn P m + ∑ B mo P m + B oo
m n
And calculate
∆p = ∑ PG − P L − P D

6. If |∆P| is less than ε, stop calculation and calculate the cost of generation with these
values of powers.

7. Update the value of λ and go back to step 3.

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Examples

Example 1:

Cost equation and loss co-efficient of different units in a plant are given. Determine
economic generation for a total load demand of 240 MW.

Unit No Cost of fuel input in RS/hr

2
1 C1=0.05P1 + 20 P1 + 800 0<= P1 < = 100
2
2 C2=0.06P2 + 15 P2 + 1000 0<= P2 < = 100
2
3 C2=0.07P3 + 18 P3 + 900 0 < = P3 < = 100

Loss Co-efficient:

B11=0.0005; B12=0.00005; B13=0.0002;

B22=0.0004; B23=0.00018; B33=0.0005;

B21= B12 ; B23= B32 ; B13= B31;

1. To solve Economic Despatch by using MiPower Package, invoke "MiPower Tools"

in the MiPower main screen and select " Economic dispatch by B-Coefficient ".

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Click here to select Economic

dispatch by B-Coefficient

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2. Select new to create new file.

Click here to open an existing file Click here to create new file

3. Select location to save the file and give the file name.

Click here to
Click here to give file name save the file

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4. Enter the values of total demand as 240 MW and No of generators as 3. Select

Generator number as 1 in generator details and enter corresponding values of Pmin,
Pmax, Pscheduled and Corresponding C0, C1, C2 values.

Enter total Enter Pmin value as 0 for

Select Generator demand as 240 Generator 1
1 MW

Enter Pmax value

as 100 for
Enter No of Generator 1
Generators

Enter PSch
value as 90 for
Generator 1

Enter C0 Value Enter C2 Value

as 800 Enter C1 Value as 0.05
as 20

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Similarly enter the values of Pmin, Pmax and Psch, and C0, C1and C2 values for other two
generators as

Generator
Pmin Pmax Psch C0 C1 C2
Number
2 0 100 90 1000 15 0.06
3 0 100 90 900 18 0.07

5. Enter initial value of Lamda as 5. Enter the values of B11 as 0.0005 and save the
value.

Enter 0.0005 as B11 Value

Click here to save

Uncheck PU status

Select 1 for B11 Enter Initial value of

Select 1 for B11 Lambda as 5

Similarly enter the values of B12 to B31 as

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Variable Value
B11 0.0005
B12 0.00005
B13 0.0002
B21 0.00005
B22 0.0004
B23 0.00018
B31 0.0002
B32 0.00018
B33 0.0005

B10, B20, B30, B00=0

And save the values.
6. Click on save button to save all values. Now click on execute to run economic dispatch
study.

Click here to save all values Click here to Execute and Click here to close
view output file

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6. A part of the output file is as shown.

ECOMAMIC DESPATCH USING B-COEFFICENT MATRIX AND PENALTY FACTOR

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.0000000 0.0000000 0.0000000 0.0000000
0.0000000 0.0005000 0.0000500 0.0002000
0.0000000 0.0000500 0.0004000 0.0001800
0.0000000 0.0002000 0.0001800 0.0005000
Genp 90.000000 MW
Genp 90.000000 MW
Genp 90.000000 MW
total_loss 18.306001 MW
Initial Cost of generation at bus 1=3005.000006 (units) for 90.0000 MW
Initial Cost of generation at bus 2=2835.999989 (units) for 90.0000 MW
Initial Cost of generation at bus 3=3087.000002 (units) for 90.00000 MW
Initial Total generation cost 8928.000000 (units)
Lambda 5.000000
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Iter count 301 Lambda 32.512852 Total gen 255.945038 Total loss 15.945033
Total load 240.000000 Delta power 0.000005
Final Cost of generation at bus1 =2861.603132 (units) for 85.012390 MW
Final Cost of generation at bus 2=3099.999987 (units) for 100.000000 MW
Final Cost of generation at bus 3=2528.988283 (units) for 70.932640 MW
Final Total generation cost 8490.591797 (units)

Cost Coefficient C0
This field specifies the constant cost coefficient C0 in rupees for the generator. This cost
is independent of generation.
Generation Cost = C0 + C1 MW + C2 (MW)(MW) Rs / hour
C0 = Fixed cost (Capital Cost) in Rs/hour, which includes plant installation cost, fuel cost
in controllable generator units, generating costs in base loaded units
C1 = Cost in Rs / MW / hour
C2 = Cost in Rs / (MW) (MW) / hour

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Example 2:

The generating units at the two different power plants have incremental fuel costs in
dollars per megawatt hour given by
df 1
= 0 . 0080 P g 1 + 8 . 0
fP g 1
df 2
= 0 . 0096 P g 1 + 6 . 4
fP g 2

 B 11 B 12 B 10 / 2   8 . 383183 − 0 . 049448 0 . 375082 

   
B =  B 21 B 22 B 20 / 2  =  − 0 . 049448 5 . 963568 0 . 194971  × 10 − 3
 B 10 / 2 B 20 / 2 B 00   0 . 375082 0 . 194971 0 . 090121 

Where Pg1 and Pg2 are expressed in MW at specified load level of 500 MW the loss
coefficients are in per unit on a 100 MVA base. Calculate the optimal generation at each
bus and Total generation cost.

Example 3:

The fuel cost in $/h and the B-coefficients of thermal power plants of a power system are
give below calculate optimal generation for each plant and also find the total generation
cost.
C 1 = 200 + 7 . 0 P 1 + 0 . 008 P 12 $/h 10 MW ≥ P 1 ≤ 85 MW
C 2 = 180 + 6 . 3 P 2 + 0 . 009 P 22 $/h 10 MW ≥ P 2 ≤ 80 MW
C 3 = 140 + 6 . 8 P 3 + 0 . 007 P 32 $/h 10 MW ≥ P 3 ≤ 70 MW

 0 . 0218 0 . 0093 0 . 0028 

 
B ij =  0 . 0093 0 . 0228 0 . 0017 
 0 . 0028 0 . 0017 0 . 0179 

B io = [0 . 0003 0 . 0031 0 . 0015 ]

B 00 = 0.00030523

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