A mixed integer linear programming based hydro unit commitment

Abstract

This paper describes the model and techniques developed to solve hydro unit commitment (HUC) problems. The developed HUC program is used to determine the optimal half-hourly schedules for the available hydro units for a user-definable study period while respecting system and hydraulic constraints. The HUC optimization algorithm uses a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) approach with an optimization package to solve the problem. In order to apply the MILP approach, the HUC problem is expressed as a linear problem with integer variables to include the discreteness of the problem. The usefulness of the proposed algorithm is illustrated by testing the developed program with actual hydro system data. Test results and numerical experience show that the proposed solution algorithm is simple and computationally efficient. The proposed algorithm is also suitable for competitive electricity market applications with hydro-dominant power systems.