Improved Whale Algorithm for Economic Load Dispatch Problem in Hydropower Plants and Comprehensive Performance Evaluation

Abstract

A novel method for economic load dispatch problem (ELDP) based on improved whale optimization algorithm(IWOA) is presented, and the optimization performance of IWOA in ELDP was evaluated comprehensively. The search mechanism is modified to improve the ability of the algorithm to jump out of the local optimal. The adaptive nonlinear inertia weight is introduced to improve the convergence speed of the algorithm. A limited mutation mechanism is proposed to improve the convergence of the algorithm. The evaluation indicator of calculation time and calculation accuracy was established. Taking 26 units of the Three Gorges Hydropower Station as an example, limited adaptive genetic aigorithm (LAGA), particle swarm optimization (PSO), whale optimization algorithm (WOA) and improved whale optimization algorithm (IWOA) were used to solve ELDP. The result shows that IWOA is superior to other algorithms in calculation results of various heads and loads. The calculation accuracy of IWOA was better than WOA when the number of units turned on was more than 6. The analysis results of IWOA and DP show that the calculation time of IWOA is better than that of DP when the number of units turned on is more than 6. The IWOA and the evaluation indicators proposed in this paper provide a new way for solving ELDP of large hydropower stations.