Optimization of Economic Load Dispatch Problem Using Linearly Approximated Smooth Fuel Cost Function

This paper proposes a simple linear function approximation method to solve an economic load dispatch problem with complex non-smooth generating cost function. This algorithm approximates a non-smooth power cost function to a linear approximate function and subsequently shuts down a generator with the highest operating cost and reduces the power of generator with more generating cost in order to balance the generating power and demands. When applied to the most prevalent benchmark economic load dispatch cases, the proposed algorithm is found to dramatically reduce the power cost than does heuristic algorithm. Moreover, it has successfully obtained results similar to those obtained through a quadratic approximate function method.