Combined Active and Reactive Power Dispatch Using Particle Swarm Optimization

Abstract

Major objective for the Thermal power generation is to minimize fuel consumption by allocating optimal power generation from each unit subject to equality and inequality constraints. In most of cases fuel cost consist of active power cost only however reactive power is very essential for secure and reliable operation of power systems, so the reactive power cost has to be included in the cost calculation function. However, reactive power production by a generator will reduce its capability to produce active power. Hence, provision of reactive power by generator will result in reduction of its active power production, so the reactive power pricing is equally important with real power pricing, therefore a fair price calculation method seems to be essential. The objectives considered in this paper are minimization of active power cost and reactive power cost subject to equality and inequality constraints. In this paper Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) technique has been applied to minimize both active and reactive power cost. The equality constraints have been handled by exterior penalty method. In order to show the effectiveness, the proposed approach has been tested on IEEE 9-bus standard network. Numerical results obtained from the proposed approach are compared with another technique confirms its validity and effectiveness.