Penalty function and grey wolf optimizer for solving the optimal reactive power dispatch problem with discrete variables

• Grant number: 19/15950-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2019
• End date: October 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Electrical Engineering - Power Systems
• Principal Investigator: Edilaine Martins Soler
• Grantee: Leonardo Pereira de Almeida Campos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências (FC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Bauru. Bauru , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The Optimal Power Flow (OPF) problem determines the state of an electrical power system that optimizes a given system's performance, satisfying its physical and operational constraints. A particular case of this problem is the Reactive Power Dispatch, which active controls are fixed and the control variables related to reactive power are optimized. The Reactive Power Dispatch problem can be mathematically modelled as a non-linear, non-convex, constrained and with discrete and continuous variables optimization problem. In the literature there are few results that propose solution approaches for OPF problems considering the discrete nature of some variables, most of these results treat them as continuous, given the difficulty of solving non-linear optimization problems with discrete/integer variables. Formulations and solution approaches that ignore the discrete nature of some variables can be considered unrealistic because real electrical power systems have controls that can only be adjusted by discrete steps. This research project aims to develop and apply to the Reactive Power Dispatch problem with discrete variables a solution approach that uses penalty functions to handle the discrete variables and the Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) to solve the penalized problem obtained. Numerical tests with the IEEE benchmark systems will be performed to validate the developed approach.