ECE666: Power Systems Operation

Winter 2014
Assignment-1
Last Date of Submission- Monday 17th February 2014

Notes:
a. In the best interest of your preparation for exams, the Assignment should be solved
independently, without seeking help from others.
b. Attempt the problems after solving the lecture examples. If you need clarification or
help, contact instructor or TA.
c. Answers can be hand-written and submitted on paper; or be a scanned pdf / MSWord
file submitted on-line in the Assignment Solution Drop-Box, in LEARN.
1. Consider three generators whose cost characteristic Ci(Pi) and generation limits are
given as follows:
C1 (P1 ) = 0.0025 P12 + 3.2 P1 + 800 $ / hr ; 50 MW ≤ P1 ≤ 500 MW
( )
C 2 P2 = 0.0033P22 + 5.1P2 + 1600 $ / hr ; 100 MW ≤ P2 ≤ 400 MW
( )
C3 P3 = 0.003P32 + 4.2 P3 + 1000 $ / hr ; 50MW ≤ P1 ≤ 300MW

The utility has a total demand of 1000 MW at a certain hour.

a. Find the optimal dispatch of the generators to minimize the total system cost.
b. Find their incremental cost of generation, and system marginal cost.

2. Consider three generators whose cost characteristics Ci(Pi) and generation limits are
given as follows:

𝐶1 (𝑃1 ) = 2.546𝑃12 + 23.45𝑃1 + 4 $/ℎ𝑟 150 𝑀𝑊 ≤ 𝑃1 ≤ 700 𝑀𝑊

𝐶2 (𝑃2 ) = 18.54𝑃22 + 78.43𝑃2 + 3 $/ℎ𝑟 100 𝑀𝑊 ≤ 𝑃2 ≤ 500 𝑀𝑊

𝐶3 (𝑃3 ) = 5.354𝑃32 + 54.34𝑃3 + 9 $/ℎ𝑟 200 𝑀𝑊 ≤ 𝑃3 ≤ 400 𝑀𝑊

The total system load is 1,145 MW. Find the economic load dispatch that minimizes the
total system cost. Also find the incremental cost of each generator and the system
marginal cost.

3. Consider two generators whose cost characteristic Ci(Pi) and generation limits are given
as follows:
C1 (P1 ) = 0.00253P12 + 3.19 P1 + 850 $ / hr ; 100MW ≤ P1 ≤ 600MW
( )
C2 P2 = 0.00325P22 + 5.11P2 + 1687 $ / hr 100MW ≤ P1 ≤ 750MW
The total system loss can be expressed as follows:
PLoss ( P1 , P2 ) = 11× 10 −5 P12 + 6 × 10 −5 P22 , MW

Given that the system demand is 1200 MW, find the optimal generation schedule that
minimizes the total generation cost while meeting the total system demand and losses.
(Note: Solve the coordination equations. A fair degree of accuracy is desired.)
4. Two thermal generators supply power to a load. Their respective incremental
generation costs are given as follows:

dC1 ( P1 ) dC 2 ( P2 )
= 0.00643P1 + 3.37 $ / MWh = 0.00364 P2 + 7.19 $ / MWh
dP1 dP2
The transmission loss is given by,
PLoss ( P1 , P2 ) = 0.00011P12 + 0.00006 P22 + 0.0045 P1 P2 MW
The two generators are dispatched optimally, to minimize the total system cost, and the
system marginal cost thus obtained, is 30 $/MWh. Find the optimal dispatch of the two
generators.

5. Jack and Jill are two system dispatch colleagues in the same electric utility- the Ideal
Waterloo Power Company, which has lossless lines and three generating units. At a
certain hour, Jack claims that the system is on economic dispatch. In the next few
minutes Jill observes the set of data representing incremental changes in generator MW
outputs and total production cost rates, as given below:

∆Ct ($/hr) ∆Pg1 ∆Pg2 ∆Pg3

0 1 1 -2
30 1 1 1
-20 -3 1 1

After seeing the third reading Jill says, “Jack you are wrong.” Is Jill correct in saying that
Jack is wrong? How does she arrive at that conclusion from the information given?

6. Consider two electric utilities whose composite CO2 emission characteristics, Ei(Pi), and
the total generating capacity limits are provided below.

Utility Emission Characteristics Limits

1 E1 ( P1 ) = 25 + 3.5 P1 + 0.0275 P12 kg / hr 50 MW ≤ P1 ≤ 650 MW

2 E 2 ( P2 ) = 48 + 6.2 P2 + 0.065 P22 kg / hr , 30 MW ≤ P2 ≤ 400 MW

Utility-1 has a system demand of 575 MW and Utility-2 demand is 325 MW. Find the
optimal generation schedule that minimizes the total system emissions while satisfying
all generation limits. Hence find the value of system λ and explain its significance.
Also find the total reduction in system emissions because of joint dispatch, as
compared to the system emissions when the two utilities operate independently.

7. The total system load is to be supplied by a hydro-electric and a steam generator system
whose characteristics are given below:
Equivalent steam system:
C ( PS ) = 0.0027 PS2 + 9 PS + 200 $/h; 30 MW ≤ PS ≤ 400 MW
Hydroelectric plant:
q(PH ) = 5.64 PH + 180 acre − ft / hr ; 0MW ≤ PH ≤ 600 MW
The system load profile is given below:
Hour 1 – Hour 4: 725 MW
Hour 5 – Hour 8: 615 MW
 The hydro-unit’s reservoir is limited to a total drawdown capacity of 25,000 acre-ft over
the entire 8-hour period. Inflow to the reservoir is to be neglected.
a. A hydro-thermal generation schedule is to be drawn up so as to minimize the
total cost. Formulate the appropriate Lagrangian function and develop the KKT
conditions for the optimum.
b. Using the iterative procedure, determine the optimal dispatch for the above
system.

8. Consider a power utility comprising a hydro and a thermal generating unit that supplies
the system demand of 150 MW. The system demand is assumed to remain constant
over a week (168 hours). The thermal unit cost characteristic and capacity limit is as
follows:
2
CTH ( PTH ) = 0.027 PTH + 9 PTH + 81 $/h
30 MW ≤ PTH ≤ 200 MW
The hydro generating unit water discharge rate and capacity limit is as follows:
q H = 250 + 20 ⋅ PH acre - ft/h
0 MW ≤ PH ≤ 150 MW
The total hydro energy available over the week is 20,000 MWh.
a. Find the number of hours the thermal unit should be required to operate while
the operator is seeking to minimize the operating cost over the week.
b. Find the total volume of water discharged from the reservoir of the hydro
generating unit over the week.
c. Another way to state the hydro energy availability is to provide the maximum
draw-down from the reservoir. Say, the maximum drawdown from the reservoir
is given to be 375,000 acre-ft over the 168-hour period (of 1 week). For how
long should the thermal generating unit operate now?
d. How much energy is generated (in MWh) by the hydro unit during this period?

9. A power utility comprising a hydro and a thermal generating unit supplies the system
demand of 200 MW, which is assumed to remain constant over a week (168 hours). The
thermal unit cost characteristic and capacity limit is as follows:
2 + 11P + 100
CTH ( PTH ) = 0.04 PTH $/h 30 MW ≤ PTH ≤ 200 MW
TH

The total hydro energy available over the week is 28,000 MWh. The hydro unit’s water
discharge rate and capacity limit is as follows:

qH (PH ) = 300 + 25 ⋅ PH acre - ft/h 0MW ≤ PH ≤ 250MW

a. Find the number of hours the thermal unit should operate if the operator is
seeking to minimize the operating cost over the week.
b. Find the total volume of water discharged from the reservoir over the week.
c. If in a particular week, the total water draw-down is reduced by 5%, how long
should the thermal unit operate?
10. Consider two utilities interconnected by tie-lines as shown below. Their cost
characteristics, power output capabilities and demand are given in the table below.

A B

Utility, m ao bo co PMAX PMIN Utility Demand, PD

A 0.09 15.0 5 500 100 400
B 0.06 6.5 2 500 100 250

Cm = aom Pm2 + bom Pm + co m

a. If each utility meets its own demand, find their respective operating costs and
the system marginal generation cost.
b. Now if the two utilities coordinate their dispatch to minimize the total system
cost, find the total system cost, the optimal dispatch and the system marginal
cost. Assume that there is no transmission constraint.
c. From the solution in (b), what is the optimal transaction between the utilities,
the system savings achieved through coordinated dispatch vis-à-vis independent
operation, and the resulting payment that the receiving utility should pay for
the transaction to the supplying utility, if both agree to operate on split the
savings principle.
d. Now, considering that the transmission line A-B has a power carrying capability
of 100 MW, find the system cost, the savings achieved, the optimum generation
schedule, the optimum transaction, the marginal costs of each utility and the
payment to be made by the receiving utility (again operating on split the savings
principle) for the above system.