Optimization of Stand-alone Hybrid PV/Wind/Fuel-Cell System Considering Reliability Indices Using Cuckoo Optimization and Firefly Algorithm

In this paper, a hybrid system based on wind turbines, solar arrays and fuel cells is designed optimally in the view of economical and technical aspects. The objective of the hybrid system optimization is to minimize the system net peresent cost(NPC) while considering the reliability as a constraint. The economical designing aspect is defined as equivalent loss factor (ELF) of reliability. The NPC consist of capital, operation and maintenance, replacement and, especially, loss of load costs. The data of load, solar radiation and definitive wind speed are from the North West of Iran. It is assumed that between the system components, i.e., wind turbine, photovoltaic array and inverter, there is a forced outage probability. The cuckoo optimization (COA) and firefly algorithms(FA) are applied to optimize the hybrid system components and the results are compared with the last studies. The results show that the COA method is superior to the FA and the last studies, with respect to the economical and technical aspects and convergence speed. They also show that complete consideration of the components availability and the availability of inverter increases the generation costs of the system, but improves the system reliability indices, too.