Abstract
Reactive power optimization and voltage control is one of the most critical components of power system operation, impacting both the economy and security of system operation. It is also one of the most complex optimization problems, being highly nonlinear, and comprising both continuous and discrete decision variables. This paper presents the problem formulation, and a thorough literature review and detailed discussion of the various solution methods that have been applied to the Volt/VAR optimization problem. Each optimization method is described in detail, and its strengths and shortcomings are outlined. The review provides detailed information on classical and heuristic methods that have been applied to the Volt/VAR optimization problem. The classical methods reviewed include (i) first- and second-order gradient-based methods, (ii) Quadratic Programming, (iii) Linear Programming, (iv) Interior-Point Methods, (iv) and mixed-integer programming and decomposition methods. The heuristic methods covered include (i) Genetic Algorithm, (ii) Evolutionary Programming, (iii) Particle Swarm Optimization, (iv) Fuzzy Set Theory, and (v) Expert Systems. A comparative analysis of the key characteristics of the classical and heuristic optimization methods is also presented along with the review.
Highlights
Optimization of power system operation as a subject of study has quite a long history, enriched over the years by advances in mathematical programming techniques and computational methods, but certainly predating the advent of digital computers which have revolutionized numerical optimization and computation in general
Reactive power optimization and voltage control ( known as Volt/VAR Optimization (VVO), or optimal reactive power dispatch (ORPF)) can be considered to be a sub-problem of the Optimal Power Flow (OPF) problem that is mainly concerned with the determination of the optimal coordinated dispatch of voltage-regulating devices and reactive power sources so as to maintain a secure voltage profile, while optimizing some aspect of power system operation, subject to physical and operational system constraints [4], [5]
WORK Volt/VAR optimization is one of the key operational tools needed by electric power system operators, and has a significant impact on the security, economy, technical viability and efficiency of system operation
Summary
Optimization of power system operation as a subject of study has quite a long history, enriched over the years by advances in mathematical programming techniques and computational methods, but certainly predating the advent of digital computers which have revolutionized numerical optimization and computation in general. Aspects of interest that have been emphasized in these review papers have mainly been the problem formulation, as well solution techniques, considering both the classical/deterministic and the non-deterministic/artificial intelligence-based optimization methods. Reference [26] focuses in their review of Volt/VAR control on reactive power sources and their control devices, as well as discussing a number of solution methods for the Volt/VAR control problem. This article focuses on the operational aspect of reactive power compensation It presents an up-to-date comprehensive survey of the problem formulation and solution approaches for the Volt/VAR optimization problem. Both classical/conventional and heuristic/intelligent search-based optimization methods are covered.
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