Unit commitment[edit]

The problem of unit commitment involves finding the least-cost dispatch of available generation
resources to meet the electrical load.
Generating resources can include a wide range of types:
1. Nuclear
2. Thermal (using coal, gas, other fossil fuels, or biomass)
3. Renewables (including hydro, wind, wave-power, and solar)
The key decision variables that are decided by the computer program are:
1. Generation level (in megawatts)
2. Number of generating units on
The latter decisions are binary (0,1), which means the mathematical problem is not continuous.
In addition, generating plant are subject to a number of complex technical constraints, including:
1. Minimum stable operating level
2. Maximum rate of ramping up or down
3. Minimum time period the unit is up and/or down



EE1401 POWER SYSTEM OPERATION AND CONTROL
CONSTRAINTS IN UNIT COMMITMENT:
Uni t commi t ment pr obl em can have many cons t r ai nt s dependi ng on di f f er e
nt r ul es imposed on scheduling by individual power system, power pool, reliability council etc.
Spinning reserve
is the total amount of generation available from all units synchronized(i.e., spinning) on
the system, minus the present load and losses. When a generator is lost, there must be ample
reserve on other units to compensate up for the loss in a specified time period. Reserve
is calculated as a percentage of forecasted peak demand, or it must be capabl e of maki ng
up t he l os s of t he mos t heavi l y l oaded uni t i n a gi ven per i od of t i me. I t i s
al s o s omet i mes cal cul at ed as a f unct i on of t he pr obabi l i t y of not havi ng
sufficient generation to meet the load. Reserve capacity must be allocated based on
unit being fast-responding or slow-responding. Unit commitment problem include scheduled
reserves or off-line reserves that can be brought on-line, synchronized, and brought up to full
capacity quickly. Reserve must be spread around the power system so that they can be made use
of even in the case of islanding when system gets disintegrated due to some problem.
Thermal units require a team of personnel to operate them, especially when turned
on and turned off. Since temperature changes can only be gradual some hours are required
to bring the unit on-line. Due to these restrictions in the operation of a thermal plant, various
constraints arise, such as
Minimum up time: once the unit is running, it should not be turned off immediately
Minimum down time: once t he uni t i s decommi t t ed, t her e i s a mi ni mum
t i me before it can be recommitted.
Crew constraints:
I n a pl ant wi t h mor e t han one uni t t her e may not be enough personnel to
attend both the units if both are turned on or off at the same time and hence at the
same time both cannot be turned on or off.
A c e r t a i n a mo u n t o f e n e r g y i s e x p e n d e d t o b r i n g t h e u n i t o n - l i n e .
T h i s i s n o t generated and is included in the unit commitment problem as a start-up cost.
Hydro-Constraints
U n i t c o m m i t m e n t i f s e p a r a t e d f r o m t h e s c h e d u l i n g o f h y d r o -
u n i t s a s a s e p a r a t e hydrothermal scheduling or coordination problem may not result in
an optimal solution.
Must Run
S o me u n i t s mu s t r u n d u r i n g c e r t a i n t i me s o f t h e y e a r f o r v o l t a g e s u
p p o r t o n t h e transmission network or for supply of steam for uses outside the steam plant
itself.
Fuel Constraints
Some units may have limited fuel, or else have constraints that require them to burn
a s peci f i ed amount of f uel i n a gi ven t i me, pr es ent i ng a chal l engi ng uni t
commi t ment problem.

Ref: Allen.J.Wood and Bruce F.Wollenberg, Power Generation, Operation and Control, John
Wiley &Sons, Inc., 2003.