Optimal Location of Thyristor-controlled Series Capacitor to Enhance Power Transfer Capability Using Firefly Algorithm

Abstract

Abstract—The optimal power flow problem seeks to find an optimal profile of active and reactive power generations along with voltage magnitudes in such a manner as to minimize the total operating costs of a power system while satisfying network security constraints. This article presents a firefly algorithm to solve the optimal power flow problem incorporating a thyristor-controlled series capacitor. A thyristor-controlled series capacitor is considered to find the optimal location in transmission lines to enhance the power transfer capability of the transmission line. To assess the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, it was tested on a 5-bus test system, an IEEE 14-bus system, and a modified IEEE 30-bus system, and it was compared with the genetic algorithm and differential evolution with and without a thyristor-controlled series capacitor. It has also been observed that the proposed algorithm can be applied to larger systems and does not suffer with computational difficulties. The results show that the firefly algorithm produces better results than others and has fast computing time for solving the optimal power flow problem with a thyristor-controlled series capacitor.

Keywords:

• differential evolution
• flexible AC transmission system device
• firefly algorithm
• genetic algorithm
• optimal power flow
• optimization
• thyristor-controlled series capacitor
• power system stability
• generation reallocation
• optimal location

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Venkateswara Rao Bathina

Venkateswara Rao Bathina was born in Ramabhadrapuram, India, in 1978. He received his bachelor degree in electrical and electronics engineering from the College of Engineering, Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM), Visakhapatnam, India, in 2000 and his master degree in electrical power engineering from the College of Engineering, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad, in 2007. He is presently working as an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, GITAM University, Visakhapatnam, and he is pursuing his Ph.D from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad. His research interests are power system stability analysis, FACTS devices, and power system control. He has published several research papers in national and international conferences.

Venkata Nagesh Kumar Gundavarapu

Venkata Nagesh Kumar Gundavarapu was born in Visakhapatnam, India, in 1977. He graduated from the College of Engineering, Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management, Visakhapatnam, India, in 2000 and received his master degree from the College of Engineering, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, in 2003. He received his doctoral degree from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad, in 2008. He is presently working as an associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, GITAM University, Visakhapatnam. He has published 92 research papers in national and international conferences and journals, receiving the “Sastra Award,” “Best Paper Award,” and “Best Researcher Award.” He is a member of various societies (ISTE, IEEE, IE and System Society of India), as well as a reviewer for IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation and Power Systems and a member on the boards of several conferences and journals. His research interests include gas-insulated substations, FACTS devices, power system stability analysis, fuzzy logic and neural network applications, distributed generation, partial discharge studies, and bearing-less drives.