Load Duration Curve LDC)

There are some facts about the LDC and can be summarized as:

1) the LDC is an arrangement of all load levels in a descending order

of magnitude.
2) the area under the LDC represents the energy demanded by the
system (consumed).
3) can be used in economic dispatching, system planning and reliability
evaluation.
4) it is more convenient to deal with it than the load curve.

Some important FACTORS definitions :

(1) Load Factor ( LF ):

The LF is measured as the degree of variation of load [L(t)] over a

period of time, and can be defined as the ratio of the average load (L av)
over the maximum load (L max) :

L av
LF = --------
L max

L av can be obtained as :

Energy (energy consumed) E

Lav = ------------------------------------ = ----
total time (h) h

Therefore, E/h
LF = -------
Lmax

E actual energy consumed

 = -------- = -------------------------------
Lmax h maximum energy

Eav
= --------
Emax

Eav/h Lav
Therefore, LF = -------- = --------
Emax/h Lmax

The LF varies from o to 1

(2) Capacity Factor ( CF )

The CF is the extent of use of the generating units in the Power Plant
(PP), and can be defined as:

average load on power plant Lav

CF = ---------------------------------------- = ----- < 1
rated capacity of the power plant C

(3) Utilization Factor ( UF ):

The UF can be defined as :

maximum load Lmax
UF = ---------------------------- = ------- 1
rated capacity of the PP C

(4) Demand Factor ( DF ):

Each device (equipment, appliance, apparatus) has maximum power
absorption. If all devices are run up to their fullest extent simultaneously, the
maximum demand of the consumer will reach his connected load that has been
prescribed (assessed, evaluated) by the electric company. So, the DF can be
defined as:
 Consumer actual max load
DF = ------------------------------- 1
Connected load

For example, hotels DF = 0.25 0.95

Cold stores DF = 0.80 0.90

(5)) Group Diversity Factor ( GDF )

Experience shows that it is highly unlikely that maximum load of individual
consumer in the same group occur in the same time, but spread over the time.
Therefore, the GDF measure the extent of diversification within the consumers
of the similar group and can be defined as:

Sum of individual max load within the group

GDF = -------------------------------------------------------
Maximum load of the system

L max 1 + L max 2 + L max 3 + 0000

= ------------------------------------------ 1
L max (system)

(6)) Peak Diversity Factor ( PDF )

The peak load (maximum demand) of the electric power system (electric company)
is made up of the individual demands. It is seldom (rarely) that the different group
(residential, commercial, industrial, etc) will occur at the same time. The PDF is
defined as:
Sum of individual max load of each group
PDF = -------------------------------------------------------
Maximum load of the system

L max r + L max c + L max i + 0000

= ------------------------------------------ 1
L max (system)
Example:
Assume a four groups of consumers. Each group has a daily maximum load of 1
MW. Find out the best and worst possible cases of the PDF for these four groups.