Optimizing Hydro and Thermal Power Plants Using Genetic Algorithm
Mehdi Hamdam1, Ardeshir Arash2, Alireza Pilpayeh3
1Mehdi Hamdam,  Department of  Electrical Engineering, Ardebil Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ardebil, Iran.
2Ardeshir Arash,  Department of  Electrical Engineering, Ardebil Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ardebil, Iran.
3Alireza Pilpayeh,  Department of  Water Engineering, Parsabad  Moghan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Parsabad, Iran.
Manuscript received on November 28, 2013. | Revised Manuscript received on December 12, 2013. | Manuscript published on December 30, 2013. | PP: 142-145  | Volume-3, Issue-2, December 2013. | Retrieval Number:  A2283103113/2013©BEIESP

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Abstract: In recent years, various studies have been conducted on optimization of hydro and thermal power plants; however, due to the complexity of this problem, optimal operation of power systems consisting of hydro-thermal power plants with multipurpose reservoirs, which is mostly resulting from their uncertain, non-convex, non-linear and dynamic nature, numerous simplifications and approximations have been applied in modeling these systems in order to provide the possibility of their analysis using mathematical methods. But, the result of these simplifications and approximations is distancing of the obtained models from practical operational realities of the system which limits application of their results. With progress of computational technology and advent of effective algorithms, more practical aspects of the system’s real productivity can be used in optimization models. Considering the importance of this issue in the present work, a new method was presented for simultaneous long-term operational optimization of the system consisting of hydro-thermal power plants, in which main system parameters including water inflow to reservoirs of hydro power plants and energy demand of the system were uncertainly considered. In this paper, optimization of hydroelectric and thermal power plants was done using the algorithm and instructions of optimal operation were extracted.
Keywords: Hydrothermal power plant, Indefinite scheduling, Genetic algorithm, Optimization.