Nonsmooth economic power dispatch through an enhanced differential evolution approach

Economic power dispatch (EPD) is an important tool for optimal operation and planning of modern power systems. To solve effectively EPD problems, most of the conventional calculus methods rely on the assumption that the fuel cost characteristic of a generating unit is a continuous and convex function, resulting in inaccurate dispatch. This paper presents the design and application of an enhanced differential evolution (EDE) algorithm for the solution of the economic power dispatch problem, where the nonsmooth and nonconvex characteristics of the generators, such as valve-point effects and multi-fuel options of the practical generator operation are considered. The 10-generator benchmark test system with valve-point loading effects and multi-fuel options was used for testing and validation purposes. The results obtained demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method for solving the nonsmooth economic dispatch problem.