Large-scale multi-zone optimal power dispatch using hybrid hierarchical evolution technique

Abstract

A new hybrid technique based on hierarchical evolution is proposed for large, non-convex, multi-zone economic dispatch (MZED) problems considering all practical constraints. Evolutionary/swarm intelligence-based optimisation techniques are reported to be effective only for small/medium-sized power systems. The proposed hybrid hierarchical evolution (HHE) algorithm is specifically developed for solving large systems. The HHE integrates the exploration and exploitation capabilities of particle swarm optimisation and differential evolution in a novel manner such that the search efficiency is improved substantially. Most hybrid techniques export or exchange features or operations from one algorithm to the other, but in HHE their entire individual features are retained. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm has been verified on six-test systems having different sizes and complexity levels. Non-convex MZED solution for such large and complex systems has not yet been reported.

Keywords

• load dispatching
• concave programming
• evolutionary computation
• particle swarm optimisation
• large-scale multizone optimal power dispatch
• non-convex MZED problems
• hybrid hierarchical evolution technique
• HHE
• evolutionary optimisation
• swarm intelligence-based optimisation
• differential evolution
• six-test systems