Optimal power flow and reactive compensation using a particle swarm optimization algorithm

Abstract EN

This paper addresses two important optimization problems in power systems planning; namely, the optimal power flow (OPF) problem and the optimal capacitor placement and sizing (OCPS) problem.

The aim of studying the OPF problem is to determine the optimal setting of the generators’ active powers and voltages such that the total power generation cost is minimized, taking into account the system security constraints.

Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) has been selected as an optimization tool.

The contribution of this paper in this respect lies in the formulation of the objective function in such a way that that yielded results superior to those formerly reported in literature.

As for the OCPS problem, its goal is to determine the optimal locations and sizes of capacitors such that the total cost of the power losses and the capacitors is minimized, while the voltage profile is improved.

The loss sensitivity factors are used to select the candidate buses for capacitor placement and then the discrete PSO algorithm is used to determine the optimal setting of the capacitors.

This enabled improving the results reported earlier in literature, where the capacitor sizes were treated as continuous variables and then rounded.