An enhanced particle swarm optimization approach for the unit commitment problem

This paper proposes an Enhanced Particle Swarm Optimization (EPSO) approach to the Unit Commitment Problem (UCP). The BPSO algorithm for on/off decision and the PSO algorithm for the economic load dispatch problem are enhanced to find the optimal solution and reduce the overall computation time. The proposed technique is tested on real-world data obtained from the Turkish interconnected power network system with 8 units and an 8-h scheduling horizon as well as on 10 and 20 unit systems with a 24-h scheduling horizon. The results of the EPSO on the benchmark datasets are comparable with the results of other heuristic approaches found in the literature. This preliminary experimental study shows that EPSO is suitable for the UCP and the promising results promote further study.