Sensitivity methods for economic dispatch of hydroelectric plants

Sensitivity methods of mathematical programming may be used for controlling a constrained sample-data process. This paper develops a controller for the economical dispatch of a group of hydroelectric power plants. The power plant and transmission system models are described, including the constraining relationships such as maximum and minimum plant ratings. A brief description of the gradient method employed for determining optimum schedules is offered, as well as a description of the technique for generating the matrix of feedback coefficients for the system state variables. The condition of indeterminacy (degeneracy) is described and discussed. Numerical examples of control simulation are offered.