Discrete particle swarm optimization algorithm for unit commitment

This paper proposes integrating a discrete binary particle swarm optimization (BPSO) method with the Lambda-iteration method for solving unit commitment (UC) problems. The UC problem is considered as two linked optimization sub-problems: the unit-scheduled problem that can be solved by the BPSO method for the minimization of the transition cost, and the economic dispatch (ED) problem that can be solved by the Lambda-iteration method for the minimization of the production cost. The feasibility of the proposed method is demonstrated for 10 and 26 unit systems, respectively, and the test results are compared with those obtained by the GA method in terms of solution quality and convergence characteristic. The simulation results show that the proposed method is indeed capable of obtaining higher quality solutions.