Unit Commitment Part I

By
M Usman Asad
What is Unit Commitment
Data For Example
Understanding Unit commitment
Problem
Understanding Unit commitment
Problem
Example: "Shut-Down Rule”
Understanding Unit commitment
Problem
Understanding Unit commitment
Problem
Constraints in Unit Commitment
More Constraints in Unit Commitment
Unit Commitment Solution Methods
Most Used Techniques
Priority List Solution
Dynamic Programming Path and U.C
Dynamic Programming Solution
Path Multiplication
Control Path Enumeration Using
Reduced Search Range
Recursive Algorithm
Flow Chart
Dynamic Programming Example
Simplified generator cost function
Full Set of Unit Commitment
Calculations
Results
Minimum Shut down
A Simple Unit Commitment Example

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 Unit Data
No-
Min Min Incremetal Start-up
Pmin Pmax load Initial
Unit up down cost cost
(MW) (MW) cost status
(h) (h) ($/MWh) ($)
($)

A 150 250 3 3 0 10 1,000 ON

B 50 100 2 1 0 12 600 OFF

C 10 50 1 1 0 20 100 OFF

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 Demand Data
Hourly Demand
350
300
250
200
Load
150
100
50
0
1 2 3
Hours

Reserve requirements are not considered

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Feasible Unit Combinations (states)
Combinations 1 2 3
Pmin Pmax
A B C 150 300 200
1 1 1 210 400
1 1 0 200 350
1 0 1 160 300
1 0 0 150 250
0 1 1 60 150
0 1 0 50 100
0 0 1 10 50
0 0 0 0 0
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 Transitions between feasible
combinations
1 2 3
A B C
1 1 1
1 1 0
1 0 1
1 0 0 Initial State

0 1 1

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 Infeasible transitions: Minimum down time of
unit A
1 2 3
A B C
1 1 1
1 1 0
1 0 1
1 0 0 Initial State

0 1 1
TD TU
A 3 3
B 1 2
C 1 1 36
 Infeasible transitions: Minimum up time of unit
B
1 2 3
A B C
1 1 1
1 1 0
1 0 1
1 0 0 Initial State

0 1 1
TD TU
A 3 3
B 1 2
C 1 1 37
 Feasible transitions
1 2 3
A B C
1 1 1
1 1 0
1 0 1
1 0 0 Initial State

0 1 1

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 Operating costs

1 1 1 4

1 1 0 3 7

1 0 1
2 6
1 0 0 1
5

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 Economic dispatch
State Load PA PB PC Cost
1 150 150 0 0 1500
2 300 250 0 50 3500
3 300 250 50 0 3100
4 300 240 50 10 3200
5 200 200 0 0 2000
6 200 190 0 10 2100
7 200 150 50 0 2100
Unit Pmin Pmax No-load cost Inc- cost
A 150 250 0 10
B 50 100 0 12
C 10 50 0 20 40
 Operating costs
1 1 1 4
$3200

1 1 0 3 7
$3100 $2100

1 0 1 2 6
$3500 $2100

1 0 0 1 5
$1500 $2000

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 Start-up costs
1 1 1 4
$3200
$0
1 1 0 $700 3 $0 7
$3100 $600 $2100
$600
1 0 1 2 $0 6
$3500 $2100
$100
$0
1 0 0 $0 1 5
$1500 $2000
Unit Start-up cost

A 1000
B 600
C 100 42
 Accumulated costs
$5400
1 1 1 4
$3200
$0
$5200 $7300
1 1 0 $700 3 $0 7
$3100 $600 $2100
$600 $5100 $7200
1 0 1 2 $0 6
$3500 $2100
$100
$0
$1500 $7100
1 0 0 $0 1 5
$1500 $2000

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 Total costs
1 1 1 4

$7300
1 1 0 3 7

$7200
1 0 1 2 6

$7100
1 0 0 1 5

Lowest total cost

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 Optimal solution
1 1 1

1 1 0

1 0 1 2

$7100
1 0 0 1 5

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 Notes
• This example is intended to illustrate the
principles of unit commitment
• Some constraints have been ignored and others
artificially tightened to simplify the problem and
make it solvable by hand
• Therefore it does not illustrate the true
complexity of the problem
• The solution method used in this example is
based on dynamic programming. This technique
is no longer used in industry because it only
works for small systems (< 20 units)
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