Multi-Objective Upgrade Planning Strategy for Harnessing Operational Flexibility of Coal-Fired Power Generators

The high penetration of renewable energy in power systems leads to significant net load fluctuations. Coal-fired power generators conventionally designed for baseload operations are expected to be flexible with cycling operations. Necessary upgrades received by the power generators to improve their operational flexibility will cause associated costs. An upgrade planning strategy is proposed in this paper for harnessing operational flexibility of coal-fired power generators. First, a multi-objective optimization model of coal-fired power generators is established in which the upgrade cost, operating cost, and the upgraded load following capacity of three stages are comprehensively integrated. Next, an improved multi-objective particle swarm optimization algorithm is used to solve the proposed model. Finally, a multi-criteria decision making method is applied to select the best upgrade plan. The case study results of the IEEE 39-bus system demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed planning strategy.