A genetic algorithm for the corrective control of voltage and reactive power

This paper presents an algorithm for the selection of corrective control actions for bus voltage and generator reactive power in a power system. A genetic algorithm (GA) using linear approximation of load flow equations and a heuristic selection of participating controls were combined in a search method for the minimum number of control actions. The method was successfully applied on a 220-bus model for several cases of disturbed load flow, and calculation time was proven to be small enough to allow real-time application of the algorithm. The GA was compared with a integer programming-based solution method and showed a considerably reduced calculation time.