OPF Solution for Thermal Power Plant Generating Units with Valve-Point Loading Effects and Multiple Fuels Using IGSA

Abstract

In this paper, a new solution method, which is an improved version of gravitational search algorithm (IGSA), is proposed to solve discrete optimal power flow (OPF) problem that has both discrete and continuous variables considering valve-point loading effects and multiple fuels .IGSA is based on the Newton’s law of gravity and mass interactions. In the proposed algorithm, the searcher agents are a collection of masses that interact with each other using laws of gravity and motion of Newton. The OPF problem is formulated as a single-objective mix-integer nonlinear problem, where optimal setting of the OPF control variables for minimization of total fuel cost considering without valve point loading effects, with valve point loading effects and multiple fuels are obtained .The IEEE 30-bus test system is presented to demonstrate the application of the proposed problem .The obtained results are compared to other methods recently published in the literatures and the superiority of the proposed approach over other methods is verified.