Particle swarm optimization based optimal power flow for units with non-smooth fuel cost functions

This paper presents a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) based algorithm for optimal flow with generating units having non-smooth fuel costs curves while satisfying the constraints such as generator capacity limits, power balance, line flow limits, bus voltages and transformer tap setting, The conventional loed flow and incorporation of the proposed method using PSO has been examined and tested for standard IEEE 30 bus system. The PSO method is demonstrated and compared with conventional OPF method and the intelligence heuristic algorithm such as genetic algorithm, evolutionary programming. The superiority of th method over other methods has been demonstrated on two test cases. From simulation results, it has been found that PSO method is highly competitive for its better general convergence performance.