Optimal reliability of composite power systems using genetic algorithms

The purpose of this paper is to develop an optimal reliability framework of composite power systems using genetic algorithms. In the competitive power market environment, there might be trade-off between system installation cost and power interruption cost. Interruption cost can be obtained through quantitative reliability indices of probabilistic adequacy evaluation. Through applying the genetic algorithms to solve the kind of complex discontinuous problems, the optimal reliability indices of components are obtained, which minimize the total cost comprising apparatus investment cost and interruption cost. The numerical results show that significant savings can be achieved. The proposed method is a valuable and powerful tool for power system planning.