Document Type : Reseach Article

Author

• Ahmadreza Abdollahi Chirani

Faculty of Engineering, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

Abstract

Due to economic and environmental constraints, power systems are operating near critical limits as load demand keeps growing rapidly. To improve the transfer capability, system losses, stability, and maximum loading parameters of electrical power systems, Flexible Alternating Current Transmission Systems (FACTS) devices can be used to control power flow and regulate bus voltage. This research article focuses on the problem of identifying the optimal location for a FACTS device, specifically a Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM), within power systems. This design is based on the loss reduction using Newton-Raphson load flow method, to increase stability and maximum load ability of a network by considering the optimal location and capacity of STATCOM devices in a network. To address this challenge, the Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO) is employed as a metaheuristic optimization technique to reduce power losses. The outcomes indicate the superiority of the GWO algorithm in terms of convergence speed and solution quality when compared to conventional optimization techniques. To verify the performance, the design is applied to IEEE 14 and 30 bus networks considering STATCOM and base case without STATCOM. All simulations are performed using MATLAB/Simulink.

Keywords

• Optimal location and capacity
• FACTS
• Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM)
• Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO)
• Power loss reduction