An Integrated Chaos Search Genetic Algorithm (CGA) /Fuzzy System (FS), Tabu Search (TS) and Neural Fuzzy Network (NFN) method for load forecasting is presented in this paper. A Fuzzy Hyper-Rectangular Composite Neural Networks (FHRCNNs) was used for the initial load forecasting. Then we used CGAFS and TS to find the optimal solution of the parameters of the FHRCNNs, instead of Back-Propagation (BP). First the CGAFS generates a set of feasible solution parameters and then puts the solution into the TS. The CGAFS has good global optimal search capabilities, but poor local optimal search capabilities. The TS method on the other hand has good local optimal search capabilities. We combined both methods to try and obtain both advantages, and in doing so eliminate the drawback of the traditional ANN training by BP. This thesis presents a hybrid Chaos Search Immune Algorithm (IA)/Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Fuzzy System (FS) method (CIGAFS) for solving short-term thermal generating unit commitment problems (UC). The UC problem involves determining the start-up and shutdown schedules for generating units to meet the forecasted demand at the minimum cost. The commitment schedule must satisfy other constraints such as the generating limits per unit, reserve and individual units. We combined IA and GA, then added chaos search and fuzzy system approach in it. Then we used the hybrid system to solve UC. Numerical simulations were carried out using four cases; ten, twenty and thirty thermal units power systems over a 24-hour period.

To enhance the cost effectiveness of the distribution automation system (DAS), this thesis proposes the Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) to derive the Line Switch Unit Commitment by minimizing the total cost of customer service outage and investment cost of line switches. A brief introduction of the smart grids and the DAS implemented by Taipower is described. The customer interruption cost is determined according to the customer type, loading, outage frequency and number of automated line switches in the feeder. The ANNs models were created for a radial feeder and an open tie feeder, and then implemented with the load growth in order to determine the year for the next line switch to be added. The neural network model for the line switch unit commitment is derived after performing the training using MATLAB/Neural Network Toolbox. A sensitivity analysis of the impacts of the loading and the outage frequency in the line switch unit commitment is studied in this thesis and a comparison between the radial feeder and the open tie feeder is also shown in the results. After the creation of the neural network model for the two types of feeder topology, we implement the model to determine the unit commitment of line switches for two Panamanian distribution feeders. The results of computer simulation show how many automatic line switches should be installed on the feeder for the first year and in which year the line switch should be added. It is found that the total cost function of customer outage and line switch investment can be minimized by considering the load growth of distribution feeders over the study period.

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) capture and sequestration (CCS) at fossil-fueled power plants is a critical technology for CO₂ emissions mitigation during the transition to a sustainable energy system. Post-combustion amine scrubbing is a relatively mature CO₂ capture technology, but barriers to implementation include high capital costs and energy requirements that reduce net power output by 20-30%. Capture energy requirements are typically assumed constant, but work investigates whether flexibly operating amine scrubbing systems in response to electricity market conditions can add value to CO₂ capture facilities while maintaining environmental benefits. Two versatile optimization models have been created to study the electricity system implications of flexible CO₂ capture. One model assesses the value of flexible capture at a single facility in response to volatile electricity prices, while the other represents a full electricity system to study the ability of flexible capture to meet electricity demand and reliability (ancillary) service requirements. Price-responsive flexible CO₂ capture has limited value at market conditions that justify CO₂ capture investments. Solvent storage can add value for price arbitrage by allowing flexible operation without additional CO₂ emissions, but only with favorable capital costs. The primary advantage of flexible CO₂ capture is an increased ability to provide grid reliability services and improve grid resiliency at minimum and maximum electricity demand. Flexibility mitigates capacity shortages because capture energy requirements need not be replaced, and variable capture at low demand helps respond to intermittent renewable generation. / text

In this thesis, I present four research papers related by their focus on environmental and economic effects of low-carbon policies and technologies in electric power. The papers address a number of issues related to the operation and design of CCS-equipped plants with solvent storage and bypass, the effect of Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) on cycling of coal-fired power plants, and the EPA’s proposed CO2 emissions rule for existing power plants. In Chapter 2, I present results from a study of the design and operation of power plants equipped with CCS with flue gas bypass and solvent storage. I considered whether flue gas bypass and solvent storage could be used to increase the profitability of plants with CCS. Using a pricetaker profit maximization model, I evaluated the increase in NPV at a pulverized coal (PC) plant with an amine-based capture system, a PC plant with an ammonia-based capture system, and a natural gas combined-cycle plant with an amine-based capture system when these plants were equipped with an optimally sized solvent storage vessel and regenerator. I found that while flue gas bypass and solvent storage increased profitability at low CO2 prices, they ceased to do so at CO2 prices high enough for the overall plant to become NPV-positive. In Chapter 3, I present results from a Unit Commitment and Economic Dispatch model of the PJM West power system. I quantify the increase in cycling of coal-fired power plants that results when complying with a 20% RPS using wind power, accounting for cycling costs not usually included in power plant bids. I find that while additional cycling does increase cycling-related production costs and emissions of CO2, SO2, and NOX, these increases are small compared to the overall reductions in production costs and air emissions that occur with high levels of wind. In proposing its existing power plant CO2 emissions standard, the Environmental Protection Agency determined that significant energy efficiency would be available to aid in compliance. In Chapter 4, I use an expanded version of the model of Chapter 3 to evaluate compliance with the standard with and without this energy efficiency, as well as under several other scenarios. I find that emissions of CO2, SO2, and NOX are relatively insensitive to the amount of energy efficiency available, but that production costs increase significantly when complying without efficiency. In complying with the EPA’s proposed existing power plant CO2 emissions standard, states will have the choice of whether to comply individually or in cooperation with other states, as well as the choice of whether to comply with a rate-based standard or a mass-based standard. In Chapter 5, I present results from a linear dispatch model of the power system in the continental U.S. I find that cooperative compliance reduces total costs, but that certain states will prefer not to cooperate. I also find that compliance with a mass-based standard increases electricity prices by a larger margin than does compliance with a rate-based standard, with implications for the distribution of surplus changes between producers and consumers.

Optimal generation scheduling attempts to minimise the cost of power production while satisfying the various operation constraints and physical limitations on the power system components. The thermal generation scheduling problem can be considered as a power system control problem acting over different time frames. The unit commitment phase determines the optimum pattern for starting up and shutting down the generating units over the designated scheduling period, while the economic dispatch phase is concerned with allocation of the load demand among the on-line generators. In a hydrothermal system the optimal scheduling of generation involves the allocation of generation among the hydro electric and thermal plants so as to minimise total operation costs of thermal plants while satisfying the various constraints on the hydraulic and power system network. This thesis reports on the development of genetic algorithm computation techniques for the solution of the short term generation scheduling problem for power systems having both thermal and hydro units. A comprehensive genetic algorithm modelling framework for thermal and hydrothermal scheduling problems using two genetic algorithm models, a canonical genetic algorithm and a deterministic crowding genetic algorithm, is presented. The thermal scheduling modelling framework incorporates unit minimum up and down times, demand and reserve constraints, cooling time dependent start up costs, unit ramp rates, and multiple unit operating states, while constraints such as multiple cascade hydraulic networks, river transport delays and variable head hydro plants, are accounted for in the hydraulic system modelling. These basic genetic algorithm models have been enhanced, using quasi problem decomposition, and hybridisation techniques, resulting in efficient generation scheduling algorithms. The results of the performance of the algorithms on small, medium and large scale power system problems is presented and compared with other conventional scheduling techniques.

El objetivo general del presente trabajo de título es realizar, mediante la aplicación de criterios técnicos de ingeniería, una evaluación técnica del desempeño de los algoritmos de Relajación Lagrangeana (RL) y Branch and Bound (B&B) en la búsqueda de soluciones para el problema de optimización de corto plazo en el sistema eléctrico interconectado del norte grande (SING). En la primera parte de la memoria se muestra el planteamiento general del problema de optimización de la operación de corto plazo, el cual corresponde a un problema de optimización entero-mixto y un conjunto de restricciones lineales mediante las cuales se establecen las características técnicas del sistema. Por otra parte, la función objetivo de dicho problema de optimización corresponde a la minimización de los costos asociados a la operación de las unidades en el horizonte de tiempo evaluado. Posteriormente, se muestra una revisión del estado del arte presentando algunas de las principales técnicas utilizadas para resolver este tipo de problema: Lista de Prioridad, Programación Dinámica, Unit Decommitment, RL, Método de Benders, B&B y Algoritmos Genéticos. Para realizar la evaluación sobre los algoritmos de RL y B&B, se realizan programas en Matlab de dichos métodos con el objeto de realizar pruebas que permitan efectuar un análisis comparativo de los rendimientos de ambos algoritmos. Se aplican dichos programas para resolver problemas de predespacho en un modelo reducido del SING. De esta forma se puede observar el rendimiento de cada algoritmo respecto de su capacidad de obtener soluciones factibles, calidad de las soluciones, uso de heurística para generar soluciones y tiempos de ejecución requeridos. Adicionalmente, se puede estudiar la flexibilidad de ambos algoritmos para considerar restricciones de mayor complejidad y sus limitaciones para resolver predespacho en sistemas de dimensiones reales. Se concluye que el algoritmo que presenta un rendimiento que permite resolver de manera más eficiente el problema de predespacho en el SING corresponde al algoritmo RL, lo anterior debido principalmente a los tiempos de ejecución requeridos para su aplicación en sistemas de dimensiones reales y a que las soluciones generadas presentan una precisión del orden del 99% respecto a las soluciones generadas por el otro algoritmo. Adicionalmente, se puede acotar que las actuales políticas de operación aplicadas en el SING no representan una gran complejidad de programación y por lo tanto, la heurística requerida no presenta una complejidad adicional.

No description available.

The solution of generation scheduling (GS) problems involves the determination of the unit commitment (UC) and economic dispatch (ED) for each generator in a power system at each time interval in the scheduling period. The solution procedure requires the simultaneous consideration of these two decisions. In recent years researchers have focused much attention on new solution techniques to GS. This paper proposes the application of a variety of genetic algorithm (GA) based approaches and investigates how these techniques may be improved in order to more quickly obtain the optimum or near optimum solution for the GS problem. The results obtained show that the GA-based hybrid approach offers an effective alternative for solving realistic GS problems within a realistic timeframe.

We consider the problem of minimizing costs in the generation unit commitment problem, a cornerstone in electric power system operations, while enforcing an -- reliability criterion. This reliability criterion is a generalization of the well-known - criterion and dictates that at least fraction of the total system demand (for ) must be met following the failure of or fewer system components. We refer to this problem as the contingency-constrained unit commitment problem, or CCUC. We present a mixed-integer programming formulation of the CCUC that accounts for both transmission and generation element failures. We propose novel cutting plane algorithms that avoid the need to explicitly consider an exponential number of contingencies. Computational studies are performed on several IEEE test systems and a simplified model of the Western US interconnection network. These studies demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed methods relative to current state-of-the-art.

Output power of hydro power plant was modelled and an optimization algorithm was implemented in a tool for optimizing hydro power plants. The tool maximizes power output of a hydro power plant by distributing water over a set of active units in the power plant which will be used in planning of electricity production. This tool was built in a MATLAB environment, using the optimization toolbox, and a GUI was developed for Vattenfall. The optimization tool was based on the same architecture as the current tool used for this kind of optimization which is to be replaced by the work presented in this thesis. Therefore, the goal was to achieve the same optimal results as the current optimization tool. Power output of three of Vattenfall’s hydro power plants were computed and two of these plants were optimized. These power output results were compared to results from the optimization tool currently used. This showed differences within the inaccuracy of measurements of ≤ 0.3%. These three power plants proved that the new tool is sufficient to replace the current tool but further testing is recommended to be conducted on more of Vattenfall’s hydro power plants to prove its consistency.