Optimal reactive power dispatch by means of particle swarm optimization

In this paper the particle swarm optimization (PSO) along with some of its variants is explored to give solution to the optimal reactive power dispatch problem (ORPD). This problem consists of the optimal use of reactive power resources in a power system, usually with the aim of minimizing power loses and improving voltage profile. The ORPD is a non-lineal and non-convex problem that involves continues and discrete variables and features multiple sub-optimal solutions. Besides the PSO technique, the variants known as Turbulent PSO (TPSO) and Turbulent Crazy (PSO) were implemented. Several tests were performed on IEEE 57 and 118 bus test systems comparing results with other reported in the technical literature. It was found that the performance of PSO is considerably improved when the variants TPSO and TCPSO are applied.