Optimum generation units dispatch for fuel consumption minimization

The United States Marine Corps (USMC) utilizes Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) which employ multiple generation units, primarily powered by JP-8 (similar to diesel fuel). It is often true that logistical support to deliver fuel is both expensive and dangerous. On the other hand, the generation units deployed by USMC range from 2 KW to over 200 KW, with very different input-output characteristics. In order to minimize fuel usage, a more sophisticated dispatch approach is needed. This paper applies the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) conditions for optimality (in the sense of minimizing the fuel consumption) to develop an approach to economically dispatch generators. Simulation results based on the KKT method are compared with several existing dispatch methods, showing that our approach reduces the fuel usage compared to current standard methods.