Fuzzy constraint enforcement and control action curtailment in an optimal power flow

Conventional power system optimal power flow (OPF) solutions utilize standard optimization techniques. These techniques limit the practical value and scope of OPF applications. Realistic OPF solutions require special attention to the constraint enforcement and control action curtailment. From a practical point of view, an OPF does not need to find a rigid minimum solution. Certain trade-offs among: (1) minimizing the objective function; (2) satisfying constraints; and (3) moving control variables would be desirable. In this paper, a fuzzy set method is applied to the OPF problem to model these considerations. The method has been implemented in a successive linear programming OPF software package. Test results based on the PG&E network are promising.