Security constrained unit commitment of power systems by a new combinatorial solution strategy composed of enhanced harmony search algorithm and numerical optimization

In this paper, a new combinatorial solution strategy for security constrained unit commitment (SCUC) problem is presented. In the proposed combinatorial solution strategy, the unit states are determined by a new stochastic search method, which is an enhanced harmony search technique, and the security constrained economic dispatch problem is solved using an efficient nonlinear analytical solver based on numerical optimization. Moreover, the proposed solution strategy also includes a hybrid constraint handling method. The effectiveness of the proposed combinatorial solution strategy to solve the SCUC problem is shown on different test systems and compared with some of the most recently published research works in the area. These comparisons confirm the validity of the developed strategy.

► A new stochastic search method is proposed.
► A new combinatorial SCUC solution strategy is suggested.
► A new hybrid constraint handling method is presented.
► Effectiveness of the proposed solution strategy is extensively tested.