Application of PSO in Distribution Power Systems: Operation and Planning Optimization

Being an engineering field, power systems provide an extensive subject for optimization to be applied upon. Modern power systems have evolved in an increasingly highly complex system. The liberalization of the energy market and the introduction of distributed generation and, in particular, distributed renewable energy resources (DRES) have raised both opportunities and challenges that need to be tackled. Thus, complex issues related to the operation and planning of the distribution systems have emerged. Such issues involve many variables and refer to nonlinear objectives; thus their optimization is significantly based on heuristic techniques, such as particle swarm optimization (PSO). In this chapter, the implementation of PSO when contemplating various problems in power systems is presented. In particular, the utilization of PSO is demonstrated in the optimal distributed generation placement problem (ODGP), also known as optimal siting and sizing of distributed generation problem, and in the network reconfiguration problem. Finally, PSO is implemented in an optimal schedule of electric vehicles (EVs) charging, providing an apt example of the variety of problems for which PSO can be utilized and providing useful aid to important decisions, in the field of power systems.