A Solution to Unit Commitment Problem by ACO and PSO Hybrid Algorithm

To solve the mixed-integer nonlinear programming problem of unit commitment in electric power system, the problem was separated into two subordinate optimization problems with integral and continuous variables first, then a new hybrid algorithm based on ant colony optimization (ACO) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) was proposed. The first step is to realize unit-scheduled problem using ACO; the second step is to solve economic dispatch (ED) in these units using PSO. In addition, some criterions are used to prevent ants from searching invalid unit status, which enhance speed and efficiency of the algorithm. Two generation scheduling systems with 5 or 10 units are tested. The simulation results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in solving unit commitment