Optimal power flow solutions for power system operations using moth-flame optimization algorithm

Optimal power flow (OPF) has gained a growing attention from electrical power researchers since it is a significant tool that assists utilities of power system to determine the optimal economic and secure operation of the electric grid. The key OPF objective is to optimize a certain objective function such as: minimization of total fuel cost, emission, real power transmission loss, voltage deviation, etc. while fulfilling certain operation constraints like bus voltage, line capacity, generator capability and power flow balance. Optimal reactive power dispatch (ORPD) is a sub-problem of optimal power flow. ORPD has a considerable impact on the economic and the security of the electric power system operation and control. ORPD is considered a mixed nonlinear problem because it contains continuous and discrete control variables. Another sub-problem of OPF is Economic dispatch (ED) which one of the complex problems in the power system which its purposes is to determine the optimal allocation output of generator unit to satisfy the load demand at the minimum economic cost of generation while meeting the equality and inequality constraints. In this thesis, a recent metaheuristic nature-inspired optimization algorithm namely: Moth-Flame Optimizer (MFO) is applied to solve the two subproblems of Optimal power flow (OPF) namely: Economic dispatch (ED) and Optimal reactive power dispatch (ORPD) simultaneously. Three objective functions will be considered: generation cost minimization, transmission power loss minimization, and voltage deviation minimization using a weighted factor. The IEEE 30-bus test system and IEEE 57-bus test system will be employed, to investigate the effectiveness of the proposed MFO in solving the above-mentioned problems. Then the obtained MFO methods results is compared with other reported well-known methods. The comparison proves that MFO offers a better result compared to the other selected methods. In IEEE 30-bus test system, MFO outperform the other optimization methods with 967.589961$/h compared to 971.411400$/h, 983.738069$/h, 975.346233$/h, 985.198050$/h, 1035.537820$/h for Improved Grey Wolf Optimizer (IGWO), Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO), Ant Loin Optimizer (ALO), Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA), and Sine Cosine Algorithm (SCA) respectively. In IEEE 57-bus test system, MFO offers a minimization of 19.16% compared to 19.03% and 18.98% for Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO), Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) respectively. Moreover, the MFO have speedy convergence rate and smooth curves more than the other algorithms

Optimal power flow using Hybrid Particle Swarm Optimization and Moth Flame Optimizer approach

In this study, the most common problem of the current power system named optimal power flow (OPF) is optimized using the recently hybrid meta-heuristic optimization technique Particle Swarm Optimization-Moth Flame Optimizer (PSO-MFO) algorithm. Hybrid PSO-MFO is an incorporation of PSO used for exploitation stage and MFO for exploration stage in an uncertain environment. The position and velocity of the particle are restructured according to Moth and flame location in each iteration. The hybrid PSO-MFO technique is carried out to solve the OPF problem. The performance of this technique is deliberated and evaluated on the standard IEEE 30-bus and IEEE 57-bus test system. The problems considered in the OPF are fuel cost reduction, Voltage stability enhancement and Active power loss minimization. The results obtained with hybrid PSO-MFO technique is compared with original PSO and MFO

Adopting Scenario-Based approach to solve optimal reactive power Dispatch problem with integration of wind and solar energy using improved Marine predator algorithm

The penetration of renewable energy resources into electric power networks has been increased considerably to reduce the dependence of conventional energy resources, reducing the generation cost and greenhouse emissions. The wind and photovoltaic (PV) based systems are the most applied technologies in electrical systems compared to other technologies of renewable energy resources. However, there are some complications and challenges to incorporating these resources due to their stochastic nature, intermittency, and variability of output powers. Therefore, solving the optimal reactive power dispatch (ORPD) problem with considering the uncertainties of renewable energy resources is a challenging task. Application of the Marine Predators Algorithm (MPA) for solving complex multimodal and non-linear problems such as ORPD under system uncertainties may cause entrapment into local optima and suffer from stagnation. The aim of this paper is to solve the ORPD problem under deterministic and probabilistic states of the system using an improved marine predator algorithm (IMPA). The IMPA is based on enhancing the exploitation phase of the conventional MPA. The proposed enhancement is based on updating the locations of the populations in spiral orientation around the sorted populations in the first iteration process, while in the final stage, the locations of the populations are updated their locations in adaptive steps closed to the best population only. The scenario-based approach is utilized for uncertainties representation where a set of scenarios are generated with the combination of uncertainties the load demands and power of the renewable resources. The proposed algorithm is validated and tested on the IEEE 30-bus system as well as the captured results are compared with those outcomes from the state-of-the-art algorithms. A computational study shows the superiority of the proposed algorithm over the other reported algorithms

Integration of Distributed Generations in Smart Distribution Networks Using Multi-Criteria Based Sustainable Planning Approach

Energy planning has become more complicated in the 21st century of sustainable development due to the inclusion of numerous standards such as techno-economic, and environmental considerations. This paper proposes multi-criteria sustainable planning (MCSP) based optimization approach for identifying DGs’ optimal allocations and rating powers. The main objectives of this paper are the reduction of the network’s total power loss, voltage profile improvement, energy loss saving maximization, and curtailing environmental emissions and water consumption to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 3, 6, 7, 13, and 15) by taking the constraints into consideration. Different alternatives are evaluated across four aspects of performance indices; technical, cost-economic, environmental, and social (TEES). In terms of TEES performance evaluations, various multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approaches are used to determine the optimal trade-off among the available solutions. These methods are gaining wide acceptance due to their flexibility while considering all criteria and objectives concurrently. Annual energy loss saving is increased by 97.13%, voltage profile is improved to 0.9943 (p.u), and emissions are reduced by 82.45% using the proposed technique. The numerical results of the proposed MCSP approach are compared to previously published works to validate and may be used by researchers and energy planners as a planning tool for ADN schemes

Optimal Power Flow Solution With Stochastic Renewable Energies Using Nature Inspired Algorithm

The use of the Moth Flame Optimization (MFO) algorithm to solve optimal power flow as an objective optimization problem in power system operation and control is described in this thesis. Given the environmental consequences of pollution from fossil-fueled power plants, the optimal power flow that minimises only the overall cost of fuel appears to be no longer relevant as a single objective constraint. The optimization method, which is based on statistical models to solve optimal power flow and problems, shall be defined as a method for solving problems with a single identical objective function. Using the relevant equation, which is not violating the moth flame's system that has been developed as their base, the testing will run for a number of iterations, and after achieving the iterations, the testing will print out the output which is at their best optimal outcome, and this testing must run for a number of times to find the steady output for data collection. This method was tested on three different generation systems under varying load conditions. The results obtained using the proposed approach are comparable to those obtained using the other approaches discussed in the literature review. By the end of this study, this algorithm should have been demonstrated to be a process that is simple to use and capable of searching for a nearglobal optimal solution with significant convergence and effectiveness when compared to other algorithms

SLIME MOULD ALGORITHM FOR PRACTICAL OPTIMAL POWER FLOW SOLUTIONS INCORPORATING STOCHASTIC WIND POWER AND STATIC VAR COMPENSATOR DEVICE

Purpose. This paper proposes the application procedure of a new metaheuristic technique in a practical electrical power system to solve optimal power flow problems, this technique namely the slime mould algorithm (SMA) which is inspired by the swarming behavior and morphology of slime mould in nature. This study aims to test and verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm to get good solutions for optimal power flow problems by incorporating stochastic wind power generation and static VAR compensators devices. In this context, different cases are considered in order to minimize the total generation cost, reduction of active power losses as well as improving voltage profile. Methodology. The objective function of our problem is considered to be the minimum the total costs of conventional power generation and stochastic wind power generation with satisfying the power system constraints. The stochastic wind power function considers the penalty cost due to the underestimation and the reserve cost due to the overestimation of available wind power. In this work, the function of Weibull probability density is used to model and characterize the distributions of wind speed. Practical value. The proposed algorithm was examined on the IEEE-30 bus system and a large Algerian electrical test system with 114 buses. In the cases with the objective is to minimize the conventional power generation, the achieved results in both of the testing power systems showed that the slime mould algorithm performs better than other existing optimization techniques. Additionally, the achieved results with incorporating the wind power and static VAR compensator devices illustrate the effectiveness and performances of the proposed algorithm compared to the ant lion optimizer algorithm in terms of convergence to the global optimal solution.Мета. У статті пропонується процедура застосування нового метаеврістіческого методу в реальній електроенергетичній системі для розв’язання задач оптимального потоку енергії, а саме алгоритму слизової цвілі, який заснований на поведінці рою і морфології слизової цвілі в природі. Дане дослідження спрямоване на тестування і перевірку ефективності запропонованого алгоритму для отримання хороших рішень для проблем оптимального потоку потужності шляхом включення пристроїв стохастичною вітрової генерації і статичних компенсаторів VAR. У зв'язку з цим, розглядаються різні випадки, щоб мінімізувати загальну вартість генерації, знизити втрати активної потужності і поліпшити профіль напруги. Методологія. В якості цільової функції завдання розглядається мінімальна сукупна вартість традиційної генерації електроенергії і стохастичної вітрової генерації при задоволенні обмежень енергосистеми. Стохастична функція енергії вітру враховує величини штрафів через недооцінку і резервні витрати через завищену оцінку доступної вітрової енергії. У даній роботі функція щільності ймовірності Вейбулла використовується для моделювання і характеристики розподілів швидкості вітру. Практична цінність. Запропонований алгоритм був перевірений на системі шин IEEE-30 і великий алжирської тестовій енергосистемі зі 114 шинами. У випадках, коли мета полягає в тому, щоб звести до мінімуму традиційне вироблення електроенергії, досягнуті результати в обох тестових енергосистемах показали, що алгоритм слизової цвілі функціонує краще, ніж інші існуючі методи оптимізації. Крім того, досягнуті результати з використанням вітрової енергії і статичного компенсатора VAR ілюструють ефективність і продуктивність запропонованого алгоритму в порівнянні з алгоритмом оптимізатора мурашиних левів з точки зору збіжності до глобального оптимального рішення

An Improvement of Load Flow Solution for Power System Networks using Evolutionary-Swarm Intelligence Optimizers

Load flow report which reveals the existing state of the power system network under steady operating conditions, subject to certain constraints is being bedeviled by issues of accuracy and convergence. In this research, five AI-based load flow solutions classified under evolutionary-swarm intelligence optimizers are deployed for power flow studies in the 330kV, 34-bus, 38-branch section of the Nigerian transmission grid. The evolutionary-swarm optimizers used in this research consist of one evolutionary algorithm and four swarm intelligence algorithms namely; biogeography-based optimization (BBO), particle swarm optimization (PSO), spider monkey optimization (SMO), artificial bee colony optimization (ABCO) and ant colony optimization (ACO). BBO as a sole evolutionary algorithm is being configured alongside four swarm intelligence optimizers for an optimal power flow solution with the aim of performance evaluation through physical and statistical means. Assessment report upon application of these standalone algorithms on the 330kV Nigerian grid under two (accuracy and convergence) metrics produced PSO and ACO as the best-performed algorithms. Three test cases (scenarios) were adopted based on the number of iterations (100, 500, and 1000) for proper assessment of the algorithms and the results produced were validated using mean average percentage error (MAPE) with values of voltage profile created by each solution algorithm in line with the IEEE voltage regulatory standards. All algorithms proved to be good load flow solvers with distinct levels of precision and speed. While PSO and SMO produced the best and worst results for accuracy with MAPE values of 3.11% and 36.62%, ACO and PSO produced the best and worst results for convergence (computational speed) after 65 and 530 average number of iterations. Since accuracy supersedes speed from scientific considerations, PSO is the overall winner and should be cascaded with ACO for an automated hybrid swarm intelligence load flow model in future studies. Future research should consider hybridizing ACO and PSO for a more computationally efficient solution model

Optimal power flow with distributed energy sources using whale optimization algorithm

Renewable energy generation is increasingly attractive since it is non-polluting and viable. Recently, the technical and economic performance of power system networks has been enhanced by integrating renewable energy sources (RES). This work focuses on the size of solar and wind production by replacing the thermal generation to decrease cost and losses on a big electrical power system. The Weibull and Lognormal probability density functions are used to calculate the deliverable power of wind and solar energy, to be integrated into the power system. Due to the uncertain and intermittent conditions of these sources, their integration complicates the optimal power flow problem. This paper proposes an optimal power flow (OPF) using the whale optimization algorithm (WOA), to solve for the stochastic wind and solar power integrated power system. In this paper, the ideal capacity of RES along with thermal generators has been determined by considering total generation cost as an objective function. The proposed methodology is tested on the IEEE-30 system to ensure its usefulness. Obtained results show the effectiveness of WOA when compared with other algorithms like non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II), grey wolf optimization (GWO) and particle swarm optimization-GWO (PSO-GWO)

MSA for Optimal Reconfiguration and Capacitor Allocation in Radial/Ring Distribution Networks

This work presents a hybrid heuristic search algorithm called Moth Swarm Algorithm (MSA) in the context of power loss minimization of radial distribution networks (RDN) through optimal allocation and rating of shunt capacitors for enhancing the performance of distribution networks. With MSA, different optimization operators are used to mimic a set of behavioral patterns of moths in nature, which allows for flexible and powerful optimizer. Hence, a new dynamic selection strategy of crossover points is proposed based on population diversity to handle the difference vectors Lévy-mutation to force MSA jump out of stagnation and enhance its exploration ability. In addition, a spiral motion, adaptive Gaussian walks, and a novel associative learning mechanism with immediate memory are implemented to exploit the promising areas in the search space. In this article, the MSA is tested to adapt the objective function to reduce the system power losses, reduce total system cost and consequently increase the annual net saving with inequity constrains on capacitor size and voltage limits. The validation of the proposed algorithm has been tested and verified through small, medium and large scales of standard RDN of IEEE (33, 69, 85-bus) systems and also on ring main systems of 33 and 69-bus. In addition, the obtained results are compared with other algorithms to highlight the advantages of the proposed approach. Numerical results stated that the MSA can achieve optimal solutions for losses reduction and capacitor locations with finest performance compared with many existing algorithms