Shuffled Frog Leaping Algorithm for solving profit based unit commitment problem

In this paper, Shuffled Frog Leaping Algorithm (SFLA) is employed to solve the profit based unit commitment problem (PBUCP) under deregulated environment, to maximize the GENeration Companies (GENCO) profit. This paper presents a new approach of GENCOs profit based unit commitment using SFLA technique in a day ahead competitive electricity markets. Profit-based UC formulation considers the softer demand constraint and allocates fixed and transitional costs to the scheduled hours. Deregulation is unbundling of vertically integrated power system into generation (GENCOs), transmission (TRANSCOs) and distribution companies (DISCOs). Deregulation in power sector increases the efficiency of electricity production and distribution, offer lower prices, higher quality, secure, more reliable product and also it has the advantage that customers are allowed to choose their suppliers. This technique achieved great challenges for the power industry and thus an individual human can take their own decision by choosing the reliable continuous supply of power from the electricity markets at an affordable price. Under restructured system, GENeration COmpanies schedules their generators with the objective of maximizing their profit. This proposed algorithm is for a small unit test system with 10 units 24 hour data and the simulations are carried out to show the performance of proposed methodology using MATLAB software. It is observed from the simulation results that the proposed algorithm provides maximum profit with less computational time compared to existing techniques.