Optimal scheduling for power system peak load regulation considering short-time startup and shutdown operations of thermal power unit

Abstract

To balance the peak–valley difference of the system load in electrical power systems, the peak load regulation problem has become a major barrier, resulting in challenges to unit commitment (UC). In addition to the new construction of specific system peak load regulation resources on the generation side and the demand response programs on the demand side, this paper focuses on the capacity of thermal power units in system peak load regulation. Considering the temporal distribution of system load off-peak hours, the potentiality of the deeper peak load regulation mode and the short-time startup and shutdown regulation mode of thermal power units are analysed. This paper presents an optimal scheduling model for power system peak load regulation considering the short-time startup and shutdown operations of a thermal power unit. First, an improved linear UC model considering the thermal units’ startup and shutdown trajectories is established. Next, for different peak load regulation modes of thermal units, the corresponding peak load compensation rules are processed and converted into linear formulations. An integrated optimal scheduling model for power system peak load regulation with a suitable rolling optimization strategy is proposed. A real prefecture-level urban power system in southwest China and its modified test systems are used to test and verify the validity and effectiveness of the proposed methodology.