Nonconvex Economic Load Dispatch by Enhanced Particle Swarm Optimization

Abstract

Economic load dispatch (ELD) is one of the main tools for optimal operation and planning of modern power systems. To solve effectively the ELD problem, most of the conventional calculus methods rely on the assumption that the fuel cost characteristic of a generating unit is a smooth and convex function, resulting in inaccurate dispatch. This paper explores the use of an enhanced particle swarm optimizer (EPSO) for the solution of the economic load dispatch problem by considering the valve-point effect and multi-fuel options, making the modeling of the generation cost functions more practical. Modification in the design of the inertia weight parameter of the conventional PSO is suggested to enhance the global search capability and avoid local minima. Experimental results show that the proposed EPSO approach outperforms other heuristic techniques in terms of solution quality and robustness.