Exploration of dispatch model integrating wind generators and electric vehicles

Abstract

To reach the worldwide target of reducing CO2 emissions, the share of renewable energy sources (RES) in future electricity generation mix together with integration of Electric Vehicles (EVs) in the transport sector are undergoing rapid expansion to achieve energy security and environmental sustainability. However, uncontrollability and limited predictability of RES poses challenges in optimal selection of generation units and optimal load distribution among selected units. This paper presents the exploration of two important tools of generation unit operation scheduling: unit commitment (UC) and economic dispatch (ED). The investigated UC-ED model in this paper incorporates wind generators as RES alongside conventional centralized generators. To take into account the effect of limited predictability of wind power on generation cost, imbalance costs are also included into the model as decision variables alongside marginal cost associated with conventional generators and wind generators. The proposed UC-ED model also optimizes plug-in EV (PEV) charging with an aim to maximize wind energy consumption and minimize total generation cost. UC-ED model is developed using YALMIP, a modelling language in MATLAB and GUROBI optimization solver. Finally, the UC-ED model is applied to a test case comprised of 18 units (including 15 conventional units and 3 wind farms) with a fixed-sized PEV fleets. The results demonstrate shifting of PEV fleets charging at times of high wind availability due to controlled charging realizes generation cost savings. Nevertheless, the operational cost saving incurred by controlled charging appears to diminish when dispatched wind energy emerges considerably large than charging energy of PEV fleets. Further analysis of the results reveals that the effectiveness of PEV control strategy in terms of CO2 emission reduction is strongly coupled with generation mix and proposed control strategy is favored in cases where less pollutant base plants like nuclear, hydro power are profoundly dominant. Index Terms-unit commitment, economic dispatch, wind power, PEV fleet, charging strategy.

Date of Award	31 Aug 2014
Original language	English
Supervisor	Phuong H. Nguyen (Supervisor 1)