Dynamic economic dispatch for the management of a power distribution system

A system for dynamically managing the operations of generating units in an electrical power system, comprising:

• a processor for determining ramping constraints of each of a plurality of committed generating units in an electrical power network and receiving predetermined load predictions for a set of predetermined and consecutive time intervals;
• wherein the processor calculates an incremental cost according to the formula
• ICit=IMCit+IHRit×FCit/EFit
• where ICit denotes a unit incremental cost, IMCit denotes an incremental maintenance cost, IHRit denotes an incremental heat rate, FCit denotes a fuel cost, and EFit denotes an efficiency factor, wherein the subscript i denotes a unit index, and the superscript t denotes an index of time intervals;
• wherein the processor determines an allocation of output power for each of the plurality of generating units over the set of predetermined arid consecutive time intervals and subject to the ramping constraints wherein the respective allocations are configured for minimizing the costs associated with each of the plurality of generating units changing when producing power according to the respective allocations of output power;
• and
• wherein the processor generates power dispatch instructions responsive to the allocation of output power to each of the plurality of generating units in the electrical power network.

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of;

• determining ramping constraints of each of a plurality of committed generating units in an electrical power network;
• receiving predetermined load predictions for a set of predetermined and consecutive time intervals;
• determining a fuel type to be used for generating an allocation of output power;
• selecting from a plurality of predetermined incremental heat rate curves associated with predetermined fuel types an incremental heat rate curve representative of the fuel type to be used for generating the allocation of output power;
• determining the allocation of output power for each of the plurality of generating units over the set of predetermined and consecutive time intervals and subject to the ramping constraints wherein the respective allocations are configured for minimizing the costs associated with each of the plurality of generating units changing when producing power according to the respective allocations of output power;
• and
• generating power dispatch instructions responsive to the allocation of output power to each of the plurality of generating units in the electrical power network.

A method for dynamically managing the operations of power generating units in an electrical power network divided into control areas to resolve a power generation deviation from a predetermined operating requirement of the electrical power network and to minimize costs associated with resolving the power generation deviation, comprising:

• identifying a condition in an electrical power network indicative of a power generation deviation from a predetermined operating requirement;
• determining operating constraints of each of a plurality of committed generating units in the electrical power network;
• receiving predetermined load predictions for the electrical power network for a set of predetermined and consecutive time intervals;
• determining a fuel type to be used for generating an allocation of output power;
• selecting from a plurality of predetermined incremental heat rate curves associated with predetermined fuel types an incremental heat rate curve representative of the fuel type to be used for generating the allocation of output power;
• iteratively determining the allocation of output power for each of the plurality of generating units in a control area over the set of predetermined and consecutive time intervals using a Lagrange relaxation approach so that an overall cost associated with each of the plurality of generating units when producing power according to the respective allocations of output power integrated over the consecutive time intervals is minimized according to the relationship:
• SystemCast
• =
• ∑
• t
• ∈
• T
• ⁢
• ⁢
• ∑
• unit
• ∈
• U
• A
• ⁢
• ⁢
• (
• StatCost
• unit
• t
• ⁡
• (
• P
• unit
• t
• )
• )
• ,
• wherein T is a time period of the consecutive time intervals, t is a time interval within the time period of the consecutive time intervals T, UA is a set of power generating units in a control area, unit is a power generating unit in the control area of the power generation network, StatCostunitt is a unit operating cost over time interval t, and Punitt is unit power generation over time interval t;
• and
• generating power dispatch instructions responsive to the allocation of output power to each of the plurality of generating units in the electrical power network for use in controlling the units' respective energy generation to remedy the condition in the electrical power network indicative of a power generation deviation from the predetermined operating requirement.