30+ Companies – 100’s Customer-Side users
The integration of AMPL has been a resounding success. GridView, empowered by AMPL’s optimization capabilities, is now utilized by over 30 customer companies, serving hundreds of individual users across the power grid management sector. This widespread adoption is a testament to the effectiveness and user-friendliness of the solution.
Implementation and Result of Optimization
The resulting model employs a Mixed-Integer Linear Solver (MILP) to handle a combination of continuous and discrete variables. Despite dealing with millions of variables, including tens of thousands of integer variables, the model achieves optimal solutions within a commendable timeframe of 10 minutes.
INDUSTRY
Power Grid Management
WORKFLOWS OPTIMIZED BY AMPL
Unit Commitment
Network Flow
INTEGRATIONS
AMPL with GridView Software
KEYWORDS
Power Grid Optimization
AMPL
GridView
Unit Commitment
Network Flow
Power grid managers are responsible for the safe and reliable delivery of electricity from generation sources to end users. This complex system involves planning, monitoring, and controlling the flow of electricity across a vast network of power plants, transmission lines, and distribution systems. Key aspects include:
Ensuring enough electricity is generated to meet ever-changing consumer needs.
Preventing blackouts and power surges by keeping the grid operating within safe voltage and frequency limits.
Deciding which power plants to activate and how to route electricity efficiently across the grid.
As renewable energy sources like solar and wind become more prominent, power grid management is facing new challenges in integrating these variable resources while maintaining grid stability.
In the ever-evolving world of power grid management, Hitachi stands out with its innovative GridView software. This industry-accepted solution provides comprehensive power system analysis, encompassing generation, transmission, loads, fuels, and market economics within a single framework. However, a critical aspect of GridView’s success lies in its powerful optimization engine: AMPL.
Power grid operators face two crucial decisions: unit commitment (determining when to activate power plants) and network flow (optimizing power transmission across the grid). These decisions significantly impact factors like:
Planning future grid infrastructure upgrades based on actual power flow needs.
Strategically adding or retiring power plants to ensure efficient generation capacity.
Effectively incorporating renewable sources like solar and wind into the grid.
Traditionally, power grid optimization models were often developed entirely in C++. However, ABB/Hitachi recognized the limitations of this approach. They sought a solution that offered:
The ability to formulate complex and powerful optimization models that are both user-friendly and customizable for specific grid scenarios.
A seamless integration with their existing GridView software, built using C++.
AMPL emerged as the ideal solution for ABB/Hitachi due to its unique strengths:
AMPL provides a high-level modeling language, allowing ABB/Hitachi to create intricate models that are not only powerful but also understandable by both developers and customers. This transparency facilitates customization for individual customer needs.
AMPL offers a robust API (Application Programming Interface) for C++. This enabled ABB/Hitachi to effortlessly integrate AMPL's optimization capabilities within the existing GridView framework.
An initial prototype was developed at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, showcasing the potential of AMPL within GridView. ABB/Hitachi then built a full-fledged AMPL implementation using a dedicated team of three analysts.
The resulting model employs a Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP) solver to handle a combination of continuous and discrete variables. Despite dealing with millions of variables, including tens of thousands of integer variables, the model achieves optimal solutions within a commendable timeframe of 10 minutes.
Empowered by AMPL’s optimization modeling capabilities, GridView has been utilized by over 30 customer companies, serving hundreds of individual users across the power grid management sector. This widespread adoption is a testament to the effectiveness and user-friendliness of the solution.
Inspired by Hitachi’s success? AMPL can empower your organization to optimize complex decisions and achieve real-world results. Whether you’re in the energy sector or another industry facing intricate modeling challenges, AMPL’s user-friendly interface and powerful capabilities can streamline your processes and drive success. Book a free demo today to see AMPL in action, or start your free trial to experience the power of optimization firsthand.
The Hitachi and AMPL success story exemplifies the power of leveraging specialized optimization tools. AMPL’s modeling language and seamless integration capabilities have enabled Hitachi to deliver a best-in-class solution for power grid management. GridView, equipped with AMPL optimization, empowers grid operators to make informed decisions with a significant impact on transmission network expansion, plant management, and renewable energy integration.
INDUSTRY
Power Grid Management
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