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This paper proposes a two-stage robust optimization approach to solve the N-k contingency-constrained unit commitment (CCUC) problem. In our approach, both generator and transmission line contingencies are considered. Compared to the traditional approach using a given set of components as candidates for possible failures, our approach considers all possible component failure scenarios. We consider the objectives of minimizing the total generation cost under the worst-case contingency scenario and/or the total pre-contingency cost. We formulate CCUC as a two-stage robust optimization problem and develop a decomposition framework to enable tractable computation. In our framework, the master problem makes unit commitment decisions and the subproblem discovers the worst-case contingency scenarios. By using linearization techniques and duality theory, we transform the subproblem into a mixed-integer linear program (MILP). The most violated inequalities generated from the subproblem are fed back into the master problem during each iteration. Our approach guarantees a globally optimal solution in a finite number of iterations. In reported computational experiments, we test both primal and dual decomposition approaches. Our computational results verify the effectiveness of our proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

With the increasing penetration of wind power into the power grid, maintaining system reliability has been a challenging issue for ISOs/RTOs, due to the intermittent nature of wind power. In addition to the traditional reserves provided by thermal, hydro, and gas generators, demand response (DR) programs have gained much attention recently as another reserve resource to mitigate wind power output uncertainty. However, the price-elastic demand curve is not exactly known in advance, which provides another dimension of uncertainty. To accommodate the combined uncertainties from wind power and DR, we allow the wind power output to vary within a given interval with the price-elastic demand curve also varying in this paper. We develop a robust optimization approach to derive an optimal unit commitment decision for the reliability unit commitment runs by ISOs/RTOs, with the objective of maximizing total social welfare under the joint worst-case wind power output and demand response scenario. The problem is formulated as a multi-stage robust mixed-integer programming problem. An exact solution approach leveraging Benders' decomposition is developed to obtain the optimal robust unit commitment schedule for the problem. Additional variables are introduced to parameterize the conservatism of our model and avoid over-protection. Finally, we test the performance of the proposed approach using a case study based on the IEEE 118-bus system. The results verify that our proposed approach can accommodate both wind power and demand response uncertainties, and demand response can help accommodate wind power output uncertainty by lowering the unit load cost. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper examines the polytope of feasible power generation schedules in the unit commitment (UC) problem. We provide computational results comparing formulations for the UC problem commonly found in the literature. We introduce a new class of inequalities, giving a tighter description of feasible operating schedules for generators. Computational results show that these inequalities can significantly reduce overall solution times. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a model-based optimization approach to determine operation mode of a set of fans in the cooling tower (CT) by considering turbine generator and CT as an integrated system. The optimization problem is formulated as to maximize the net power output, which is the result of subtracting power consumption of fans in CT from power generated by turbine generator. The operations of both units are characterized by a data-driven method, local model network, which presents a set of local models in the formats of linear equations. Stepwise variable selection is employed to identify key variables as a way of reducing the number of variables and avoiding overfitting. Satisfactory fuzzy c-mean cluster is used to categorize operation data into several groups to build local models. The optimal problem is then solved by linear programming algorithm. A case study conducted in a commercial plant demonstrates that the proposed approach can increase significant net power output. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The environmental-economic dispatch (EED) is a bi-objective optimization problem. The Nash bargaining theory provides one way to determine a compromising solution without a clear carbon tax or carbon cap, or any subjective attitudes on both objectives, which yields a non-convex program. This letter proposes a convex formulation for Nash bargaining based EED and a linear programming (LP) based algorithm. Case studies show its scalability on real-world large-scale power systems. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

For the nonlinear power flow problem specified with standard PQ, PV, and slack bus equality constraints, we present a sufficient condition under which the specified set of nonlinear algebraic equations has no solution. This sufficient condition is constructed in a framework of an associated feasible, convex optimization problem. The objective employed in this optimization problem yields a measure of distance (in a parameter set) to the power flow solution boundary. In practical terms, this distance is closely related to quantities that previous authors have proposed as voltage stability margins. A typical margin is expressed in terms of the parameters of system loading (injected powers); here we additionally introduce a new margin in terms of the parameters of regulated bus voltages. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article focuses on the discussion of Hybrid Differential Evolution with Biogeography-Based Optimization for Solution of Economic Load Dispatch (ELD). The authors present a hybrid method that combines differential evolution with the biogeography-based optimization (DE/BBO) algorithm to solve convex and non-convex ELD in four test cases to prove feasibility. The author adds that only test case 1 was the only case wherein the ramp-rates and prohibited operating zones (POZ) was considered.