A Memory Simulated Annealing Method to the Unit Commitment Problem with Ramp Constraints

This paper proposes an improved local search metaheuristic using simulated annealing method with memory component (MSA) for solving the unit commitment problem (UCP) with ramp constraints. The proposed method benefits simultaneously from the advantages of a two metaheuristics: acceptance of “bad” solutions in order to escape from local optimal configurations (SA), and prohibition for a time period of certain areas already been searched (Tabu list) as used in Tabu search method. The proposed effective MSA method is tested on several systems as the conventional ten unit test system and its multiples with 24-h scheduling horizon and the IEEE 118-bus system with 54 units. To justify the success of the MSA method, a comparison of results with those of other metaheuristic methods and hybrid methods treated by recent references is made. The results show that the proposed method obtains less total operation costs than the others with an acceptable time computing and indicate its potential for solving the UCP.