Optimal generating unit maintenance scheduling for multi-area system with network constraints

Two proposals are described for the optimal maintenance problem of an isolated system without network constraints and a multiarea system with network constraints. First, a simple and useful method is presented for the generating unit maintenance problem of the isolated system by means of linear programming and branch-and-bound techniques. Second, a decomposition technique based on virtual load is proposed in order to solve the complicated multiarea generating unit maintenance problem. The goal is to level the reserve margin of every area throughout the year. In the multiarea maintenance scheduling the authors take into account the power arrival capability to every area load demand with network constraints, in contrast to the power supply capability of generating units as generally considered in conventional approaches without network constraints. An example of a five area system with network constraints is used to verify the methodology and illustrate the application of the approach to the multiarea maintenance problem. The results show that the approach is profitable and efficient for the multiarea power system