Adaptive Evolutionary Algorithm Applied to the Voltage Stability Problem in Power Systems

Abstract

In recent years, research studies have sought methods and devices which enhance the performance of power systems, since the more these systems are expanded, the greater the economic and environmental constraints. With the development of the power electronics applied to power systems, flexible alternating current transmission systems (FACTSs) have sprung up. A problem related to the use of a FACTS device is where best to install and adjust its parameters in order to improve the performance of the system. This paper sets out a method for automatically allocating FACTS devices in power systems for which an adaptive evolutionary algorithm (EA) is used. The proposed method seeks to determine not only where best to install FACTS devices and to supply them with reactive power but also to adjust other decision variables of a power system in order to enhance the voltage stability while taking some indicators into account. The method was tested in experimental studies by using standard IEEE systems, and comparing the results from these with those of the probabilistic and heuristic optimization methods, including the standard EA. The results showed that the proposed method enhanced the voltage stability of the systems and outperformed the other methods.