Comparison and application of self-tuning DE/HDE based algorithms to solve optimal reactive power dispatch problems with multiple objectives

This paper introduces a self adaptive differential evolution (SADE) and self-tuning Hybrid differential Evolution (HDE) methods for dealing with optimal reactive power dispatch aiming at power loss reduction. The optimum reactive power dispatch of power systems is to allocate reactive power control variables so that the objective function composed of power losses is minimized and the prescribed voltage limits are satisfied. The proposed method determines the optimum settings of reactive power control variables such as, generator excitation, tap changing transformers, and shunt compensation that reduces the power loss, while maintaining the voltage stability. IEEE 14-bus test system from the literature is used to exemplify the performance of the proposed methods. Numerical results show that the proposed methods are better methods than those reported in the literature.