Intelligent Distributed Economic Dispatch in Smart Grids

Abstract

This paper considers the optimal economic dispatch of power generators in a smart electric grid for allocating power between generators to meet load requirements at a minimum total cost. We present a decentralized algorithm where, each generator independently adjusts its power output using only a measurement of the frequency deviation of the grid and minimal information exchange with its neighbors. Existing algorithms assume that frequency deviation is proportional to the load imbalance. In practice this is seldom exactly correct. We assume here that the only thing known about this relationship is that it is an unknown, odd, strictly increasing function. We provide a proof of convergence and simulations verifying the efficacy of the algorithm.