Solving non-convex economic dispatch with prohibited zones using artificial fish swarm optimization

Abstract

In this paper, a novel approach is proposed to solve the non-convex and discontinuous economic dispatch (ED) problem of power system with thermal power plants. All the practical constraints (loss constraint, generators ramp rate constraints and network constraints) are considered for solving the ED problem. Here, the proposed ED problem is solved by considering the generators with valve point loading (VPL) effects and prohibited operating zones (POZs) effects. In this paper, to solve this practical ED problem, an evolutionary based Artificial Fish Swarm Optimization Algorithm (AFSOA) is utilized. The AFSOA is a global search algorithm based on the characteristics of fish swarm and its autonomous model. The detailed algorithm with its flow chart is presented in this paper. To show the effectiveness of the proposed ED approach, 3 test systems (3, 6 and 20 generating unit systems) are considered. The obtained results are compared with other algorithms reported in the literature.