Optimisation methods for economic dispatch in electric power systems

The application of constrained optimisation methods to the problem of economic dispatch in power systems is considered, and a unified presentation of problem formulations and appropriate solution methods is given. In particular, the methods of merit-ordering, linear programming, quadratic programming, and recursive quadratic programming are described. It is shown that the application of increasingly sophisticated methods leads to a more secure and economic dispatch of power generation. Experience with computer optimisation is presented, and the various methods are compared in terms of computational overhead, accuracy of modelling, availability of appropriate measurements, and suitability for networks of different sizes and characteristics.