Determining the Optimal Operating Point of CHP Units with Nonconvex Characteristics in the Context of Combined Heat and Power Scheduling Problem

ABSTRACT

Determining the optimal operating point of generating units in the optimal combined heat and power scheduling is an economic optimization problem aimed at minimizing the total operating costs. The generation cost would nonlinearly increase with the increase in the power generation of fossil fuel thermal units. On the other hand, in combined heat and power (CHP) units, the amounts of power and heat generation are highly mutually dependent. Therefore, the determination of the optimal operating points of such units would be much more difficult compared to electric power or heat-only generating units. Obviously, the aim beyond implementing the day-ahead generation scheduling (GS) problem is to determine the optimal operating points of generating units. In this regard, the power outputs of the units are specified such that the total operating costs of the system are minimized taking into consideration the technical and economic constraints. This paper solves the GS problem in the presence of CHP units with nonconvex feasible operating regions (FORs). This paper investigates the problem of optimal operating point determination of CHP units along with electrical and heat-only units.

Keywords:

• Combined heat and power units
• economic load dispatch
• non-convex characteristic
• optimal operating point determination

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ali Esmaeel Nezhad

Ali Esmaeel Nezhad was born in Shiraz, Iran, in 1989. He received his BS degree in electrical engineering from Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Fars, Iran, in 2011 and MSc degree at Islamic Azad University of Najafabad, Isfahan, Iran, in 2013. Now he is a MSc student at the University of Bologna, Italy. His current research interests are planning in restructured power systems, power market, power system protection, plug-in electric vehicles, and renewable energy sources. Email: [email protected]

Farideh Ghanavati

Farideh Ghanavati was born in Mahshahr, Iran, in 1984. She received her BS degree from Shahid Chamran University, Ahwaz, Iran, in 2008 and MSc degree at Islamic Azad University of Science and Research Branch, Ahwaz, Iran, in 2014. Her current research interests are optimal operation and scheduling of industrial projects, especially in restructured power systems and power market environments.

Amir Ahmarinejad

Amir Ahmarinejad received the BSc degree in electrical engineering from Qazvin Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qazvin, Iran, in 2002 and MSc degree in electrical engineering from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran, in 2005 and PhD in electrical engineering from Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran, in 2013. He is currently an assistant professor at Department of Electrical Engineering at Islamic Azad University of Yadegar-e-Imam Khomeini (RAH) Shahr-e-Rey Branch, Tehran, Iran. His research interests are renewable energy, optimization, and simulation of power system. Email: [email protected]