Thermal unit commitment using genetic algorithms

Unit commitment is a complex decision-making process because of multiple constraints which must not be violated while finding the optimal or near-optimal commitment schedule. The paper discusses the application of genetic algorithms to determine the short-term commitment order of thermal units in power generation. The objective of the optimal commitment is to determine the on/off states of the units in the system to meet the load demand and spinning reserve requirement at each time period, such that the overall cost of generation is minimised, while satisfying various operational constraints. The paper examines the feasibility of using genetic algorithms, and reports preliminary results in determining a near-optimal commitment order of thermal units in a studied power system