Automatic Economic Dispatching and Load Control - okio Edison System

The addition of the GEDA computer to the automatic load-frequency control has given the system efficient economic control on an automatic basis. Simple Leeds and Northrup-computing circuits are being added to the control equipment at each plant, so as to allocate load among the units in the plants in the same manner as the GEDA computer assumes in its calculations. However, system response to regulating demands is independent of the economic allocation and overrides such allocation if necessary. The computer is supervising the control of the system approximately 95 per cent of the time, and in operation has met all expectations as to accuracy and flexibility. Also, use of the computer has eliminated many scheduling chores and has relieved engineering and operating personnel of tedious arithmetic tabulation work which was necessary with the preparation of precalculated dispatches. Operator acceptance has been quite enthusiastic and it is becoming increasingly more difficult to get them to allow the engineers to use it for other purposes.