Solving nonconvex economic load dispatch problem using particle swarm optimization with time varying acceleration coefficients

This article presents the design and application of an efficient hybrid heuristic search method to solve the practical economic dispatch problem considering many nonlinear characteristics of power generators, and their operational constraints, such as transmission losses, valve‐point effects, multi‐fuel options, prohibited operating zones, ramp rate limits and spinning reserve. These practical operation constraints which can usually be found at the same time in realistic power system operations make the economic load dispatch (ELD) problem a nonsmooth optimization problem having complex and nonconvex features with heavy equality and inequality constraints. A particle swarm optimization with time varying acceleration coefficients is proposed to determine optimal ELD problem in this paper. The proposed methodology easily takes care of solving nonconvex ELD problems along with different constraints like transmission losses, dynamic operation constraints, and prohibited operating zones. The proposed approach has been implemented on the 3‐machines 6‐bus, IEEE 5‐machines 14‐bus, IEEE 6‐machines 30‐bus systems and 13 thermal units power system. The proposed technique is compared with solve the ELD problem with hybrid approach by using the valve‐point effect. The comparison results prove the capability of the proposed method give significant improvements in the generation cost for the ELD problem. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 21: 299–308, 2016     

Robust placement and tuning of UPFC via a new multiobjective scheme‐based fuzzy theory

This article addresses a new modified honey bee mating optimization namely multiobjective honey bee mating optimization (MOIHBMO) based fuzzy multiobjective methodology for optimal locating and parameter setting of unified power flow controller (UPFC) in a power system for a long‐term period. One of the profits obtained by UPFC placement in a transmission network is the reduction in total generation cost due to its ability to change the power flow pattern in the network. Considering this potential, UPFC can be also used to remove or at least mitigate the congestion in transmission networks. The other issue in a power system is voltage violation which could even render the optimal power flow problem infeasible to be solved. Voltage violation could be also mitigated by proper application of UPFC in a transmission system. These objectives are considered simultaneously in a unified objective function for the proposed optimization algorithm. At first, these objectives are fuzzified and designed to be comparable against each other and then they are integrated and introduced to a MOIHBMO method to find the solution which maximizes the value of integrated objective function in a 3‐year planning horizon, considering the load growth. A power injection model is adopted for UPFC. Unlike, the most previous works in this field the parameters of UPFC are set for each load level to avoid inconvenient rejection of more optimal solutions. IEEE reliability test system is used as an illustrative example to show the effectiveness of the proposed method. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 21: 126–137, 2015     

Detection of maximum loadability limits and weak buses using Chaotic PSO considering security constraints

In the current research chaotic search is used with the optimization technique for solving non-linear complicated power system problems because Chaos can overcome the local optima problem of optimization technique. Power system problem, more specifically voltage stability, is one of the practical examples of non-linear, complex, convex problems. Smart grid, restructured energy system and socio-economic development fetch various uncertain events in power systems and the level of uncertainty increases to a great extent day by day. In this context, analysis of voltage stability is essential. The efficient method to assess the voltage stability is maximum loadability limit (MLL). MLL problem is formulated as a maximization problem considering practical security constraints (SCs). Detection of weak buses is also important for the analysis of power system stability. Both MLL and weak buses are identified by PSO methods and FACTS devices can be applied to the detected weak buses for the improvement of stability. Three particle swarm optimization (PSO) techniques namely General PSO (GPSO), Adaptive PSO (APSO) and Chaotic PSO (CPSO) are presented for the comparative study with obtaining MLL and weak buses under different SCs. In APSO method, PSO-parameters are made adaptive with the problem and chaos is incorporated in CPSO method to obtain reliable convergence and better performances. All three methods are applied on standard IEEE 14 bus, 30 bus, 57 bus and 118 bus test systems to show their comparative computing effectiveness and optimization efficiencies.     

Application of chaos-based chaotic invasive weed optimization techniques for environmental OPF problems in the power system

This paper presents efficient chaotic invasive weed optimization (CIWO) techniques based on chaos for solving optimal power flow (OPF) problems with non-smooth generator fuel cost functions (non-smooth OPF) with the minimum pollution level (environmental OPF) in electric power systems. OPF problem is used for developing corrective strategies and to perform least cost dispatches. However, cost based OPF problem solutions usually result in unattractive system gaze emission issue (environmental OPF). In the present paper, the OPF problem is formulated by considering the emission issue. The total emission can be expressed as a non-linear function of power generation, as a multi-objective optimization problem, where optimal control settings for simultaneous minimization of fuel cost and gaze emission issue are obtained. The IEEE 30-bus test power system is presented to illustrate the application of the environmental OPF problem using CIWO techniques. Our experimental results suggest that CIWO techniques hold immense promise to appear as efficient and powerful algorithm for optimization in the power systems.     

安全约束条件下的经济调度优化模型研究

发电侧放开竞争的电力系统需要更加有效、准确的决策工具对有限的资源进行调度规划。短期经济调度优化问题是一个混合整数非线性规划问题,很难得到有效最优解,尤其是对于大规模电力系统。为了提高求解效率,本文提出了一个考虑安全约束的经济调度优化模型(Security-Constrained Economics Dispatch,SCED),主要采用线性化思想处理经济调度优化问题的模型以及各种约束,采用基于校正的交替求解方法,使得调度优化结果在运行成本最小化的前提下满足系统的安全稳定约束。同时,将本文方法运用到IEEE 30节点系统进行测试,从而验证本文方法有效性。     

A novel method for optimal capacitor placement and sizing in distribution systems with nonlinear loads and DG using GA

A genetic algorithm (GA) is proposed for simultaneous power quality improvement, optimal placement and sizing of fixed capacitor banks in radial distribution networks with nonlinear loads and distributed generation (DG) imposing voltage–current harmonics. In distribution systems, nonlinear loads and DGs are often considered as harmonic sources. For optimizing capacitor placement and sizing in the distribution system, objective function includes the cost of power losses, energy losses and capacitor banks. At the same time, constraints include voltage limits, number/size of installed capacitors (at each bus) and the power quality limits of standard IEEE-519. In this study, new fitness function is used to solve the constrained optimization problem with discrete variables. Simulation results for two IEEE distorted networks (18-bus and 33-bus test systems) are presented and solutions of the proposed method are compared with those of previous methods described in the literature. The main contribution of this paper is computing the (near) global solution with a lower probability of getting stuck at a local optimum and weak dependency on initial conditions, while avoiding numerical problems in large systems. Results show that proposed method could be effectively used for optimal capacitor placement and sizing in distorted distribution systems.     

UNIFORM APPROXIMATION OF A MULTIOBJECTIVE OPTIMIZATION SEQUENCE

In this paper the Pareto efficiency of a uniformly convergent multiobjective optimization sequence is studied. We obtain some relation between the Pareto efficient solutions of a given multiobjective optimization problem and those of its uniformly convergent optimization sequence and also some relation between the weak Pareto efficient solutions of the same optimization problem and those of its uniformly convergent optimization sequence. Besides, under a compact convex assumption for constraints set and a certain convex assumption for both objective and constraint functions, we also get some sufficient and necessary conditions that the limit of solutions of a uniformly convergent multiobjective optimization sequence is the solution of a given multiobjective optimization problem.     

A robust and informative method for solving large-scale power flow problems

Solving power flow problems is essential for the reliable and efficient operation of an electric power network. However, current software for solving these problems have questionable robustness due to the limitations of the solution methods used. These methods are typically based on the Newton–Raphson method combined with switching heuristics for handling generator reactive power limits and voltage regulation. Among the limitations are the requirement of a good initial solution estimate, the inability to handle near rank-deficient Jacobian matrices, and the convergence issues that may arise due to conflicts between the switching heuristics and the Newton–Raphson process. These limitations are addressed by reformulating the power flow problem and using robust optimization techniques. In particular, the problem is formulated as a constrained optimization problem in which the objective function incorporates prior knowledge about power flow solutions, and solved using an augmented Lagrangian algorithm. The prior information included in the objective adds convexity to the problem, guiding iterates towards physically meaningful solutions, and helps the algorithm handle near rank-deficient Jacobian matrices as well as poor initial solution estimates. To eliminate the negative effects of using switching heuristics, generator reactive power limits and voltage regulation are modeled with complementarity constraints, and these are handled using smooth approximations of the Fischer–Burmeister function. Furthermore, when no solution exists, the new method is able to provide sensitivity information that aids an operator on how best to alter the system. The proposed method has been extensively tested on real power flow networks of up to 58k buses.     

An approximate strong KKT condition for multiobjective optimization

In this paper, we introduce a sequential approximate strong Karush–Kuhn–Tucker (ASKKT) condition for a multiobjective optimization problem with inequality constraints. We show that each local efficient solution satisfies the ASKKT condition, but weakly efficient solutions may not satisfy it. Subsequently, we use a so-called cone-continuity regularity (CCR) condition to guarantee that the limit of an ASKKT sequence converges to an SKKT point. Finally, under the appropriate assumptions, we show that the ASKKT condition is also a sufficient condition of properly efficient points for convex multiobjective optimization problems.     

A multi-objective multi-population ant colony optimization for economic emission dispatch considering power system security

With increasing concern about global warming and haze, environmental issue has drawn more attention in daily optimization operation of electric power systems. Economic emission dispatch (EED), which aims at reducing the pollution by power generation, has been proposed as a multi-objective, non-convex and non-linear optimization problem. In a practical power system, the problem of EED becomes more complex due to conflict between the objectives of economy and emission, valve-point effect, prohibited operation zones of generating units, and security constraints of transmission networks. To solve this complex problem, an algorithm of a multi-objective multi-population ant colony optimization for continuous domain (MMACO_R) is proposed. MMACO_R reconstructs the pheromone structure of ant colony to extend the original single objective method to multi-objective area. Furthermore, to enhance the searching ability and overcome premature convergence, multi-population ant colony is also proposed, which contains ant populations with different searching scope and speed. In addition, a Gaussian function based niche search method is proposed to enhance distribution and accuracy of solutions on the Pareto optimal front. To verify the performance of MMACO_R in different multi-objective problems, benchmark tests have been conducted. Finally, the proposed algorithm is applied to solve EED based on a six-unit system, a ten-unit system and a standard IEEE 30-bus system. Simulation results demonstrate that MMACO_R is effective in solving economic emission dispatch in practical power systems.     

Derived Sets for Weak Multiobjective Optimization Problems with State and Control Variables

The concept of a K-gradient, introduced in Ref. 1 in order to generalize the concept of a derived convex cone defined by Hestenes, is extended to weak multiobjective optimization problems including not only a state variable, but also a control variable. The new concept is employed to state multiplier rules for the local solutions of such dynamic multiobjective optimization problems. An application of these multiplier rules to the local solutions of an abstract multiobjective optimal control problem yields general necessary optimality conditions that can be used to derive concrete maximum principles for multiobjective optimal control problems, e.g., problems described by integral equations with additional functional constraints.     

Solving multiobjective vehicle routing problem with stochastic demand via evolutionary computation

This paper considers the routing of vehicles with limited capacity from a central depot to a set of geographically dispersed customers where actual demand is revealed only when the vehicle arrives at the customer. The solution to this vehicle routing problem with stochastic demand (VRPSD) involves the optimization of complete routing schedules with minimum travel distance, driver remuneration, and number of vehicles, subject to a number of constraints such as time windows and vehicle capacity. To solve such a multiobjective and multi-modal combinatorial optimization problem, this paper presents a multiobjective evolutionary algorithm that incorporates two VRPSD-specific heuristics for local exploitation and a route simulation method to evaluate the fitness of solutions. A new way of assessing the quality of solutions to the VRPSD on top of comparing their expected costs is also proposed. It is shown that the algorithm is capable of finding useful tradeoff solutions for the VRPSD and the solutions are robust to the stochastic nature of the problem. The developed algorithm is further validated on a few VRPSD instances adapted from Solomon’s vehicle routing problem with time windows (VRPTW) benchmark problems.     

Equivalence and existence of weak Pareto optima for multiobjective optimization problems with cone constraints

In this work, a differentiable multiobjective optimization problem with generalized cone constraints is considered, and the equivalence of weak Pareto solutions for the problem and for its η-approximated problem is established under suitable conditions. Two existence theorems for weak Pareto solutions for this kind of multiobjective optimization problem are proved by using a Karush–Kuhn–Tucker type optimality condition and the F-KKM theorem.     

Global optimization for optimal power flow over transmission networks

The optimal power flow (OPF) problem for power transmission networks is an NP-hard optimization problem with nonlinear constraints on complex bus voltages. The existing nonlinear solvers may fail in yielding a feasible point. Semi-definite relaxation (SDR) could provide the global solution only when the matrix solution of the relaxed semi-definite program (SDP) is of rank-one, which does not hold in general. Otherwise, the point found by SDR is infeasible. High-order SDR has recently been used to find the global solution, which leads to explosive growth of the matrix variable dimension and semi-definite constraints. Consequently, it is suitable only for OPF over very small networks with a few buses. In this paper, we follow our previously developed nonsmooth optimization approach to address this difficult OPF problem, which is an iterative process to generate a sequence of improved points that converge to a global solution in many cases. Each iteration calls an SDP of moderate dimension. Simulations are provided to demonstrate the efficiency of our approach.     

A class of distributed optimization methods with event-triggered communication

We present a class of methods for distributed optimization with event-triggered communication. To this end, we extend Nesterov’s first order scheme to use event-triggered communication in a networked environment. We then apply this approach to generalize the proximal center algorithm (PCA) for separable convex programs by Necoara and Suykens. Our method uses dual decomposition and applies the developed event-triggered version of Nesterov’s scheme to update the dual multipliers. The approach is shown to be well suited for solving the active optimal power flow (DC-OPF) problem in parallel with event-triggered and local communication. Numerical results for the IEEE 57 bus and IEEE 118 bus test cases confirm that approximate solutions can be obtained with significantly less communication while satisfying the same accuracy estimates as solutions computed without event-triggered communication.     

Robust optimization for interactive multiobjective programming with imprecise information applied to R&D project portfolio selection

A multiobjective binary integer programming model for R&D project portfolio selection with competing objectives is developed when problem coefficients in both objective functions and constraints are uncertain. Robust optimization is used in dealing with uncertainty while an interactive procedure is used in making tradeoffs among the multiple objectives. Robust nondominated solutions are generated by solving the linearized counterpart of the robust augmented weighted Tchebycheff programs. A decision maker’s most preferred solution is identified in the interactive robust weighted Tchebycheff procedure by progressively eliciting and incorporating the decision maker’s preference information into the solution process. An example is presented to illustrate the solution approach and performance. The developed approach can also be applied to general multiobjective mixed integer programming problems.     

Characterizations of solution sets for parametric multiobjective optimization problems

In this article, we investigate the nonemptiness and compactness of the weak Pareto optimal solution set of a multiobjective optimization problem with functional constraints via asymptotic analysis. We then employ the obtained results to derive the necessary and sufficient conditions of the weak Pareto optimal solution set of a parametric multiobjective optimization problem. Our results improve and generalize some known results.     

An Interval-Parameter Fuzzy Approach for Multiobjective Linear Programming Under Uncertainty

An interval-parameter fuzzy linear programming method (IFMOLP) is proposed in this study for multiple objective decision-making under uncertainty. As a hybrid of interval-parameter and fuzzy methodologies, the IFMOLP incorporates interval-parameter linear programming and fuzzy multiobjective programming approaches to form an integrated optimization system. The method inherits advantages of interval-parameter programming, and allows uncertainties and decision-makers’ aspirations to be effectively communicated into its programming processes and resulting solutions. Membership functions for both objectives and constraints are formulated to reflect uncertainties in different system components and their interrelationships. An interactive solution procedure has been developed based on solution approaches of the interval-parameter and fuzzy programming techniques, plus necessary measures for handling the multiobjective feature. A didactic example is provided in the paper to illustrate the detailed solution process. Possibilities of further improvements by seeking Pareto optimum and incorporating flexible preference within constraints are also discussed.     

Multiobjective Optimization for a Standby System by the Surrogate Worth Trade-off Method

This paper deals with the multiobjective optimization problems for a standby redundancy system through the application of the Surrogate Worth Trade-off method. A multiobjective mathematical model is formulated and the problem considered is to optimize system reliability, cost weight and volume, for a given mission time, subject to multiple constraints. The preferred solution of the decision maker is obtained by using the Surrogate Worth Trade-off method. An illustrative numerical example is provided to indicate the efficiency of the proposed method.