Metaheuristics for Intelligent Electrical Networks

4Metaheuristics for FACTS Placement and Sizing

4.1. Introduction

In recent years, the interconnection of networks and the deregulation of energy markets have strongly modified the operating conditions of electric energy transport networks. Networks operators (transmission system operator [TSO]) have to find the most efficient manner to manage energy exchanges (power flow [PF]) between increasingly more numerous and varied producers (introduction of decentralized production), and consumers increasingly further away from production facilities (interconnected networks), while taking into account the physical constraints of networks operating increasingly closer to their operating limits. Such management requires that increasingly higher performance means are made available to control power transits in transport lines, on the one hand, to optimize the PF (for example to reduce congestion nodes) and, on the other hand, to increase the stability of the network. In this sense, flexible alternative current transmission system (FACTS), by mainly acting on the distribution of reactive power in the network, emerge as devices offering a great flexibility of control. Thus, they allow, in steady state, the “optimization” of the PF and a better control of the voltage in the nodes of the network as well as, in a transient state, a significant improvement of network stability.

The objective is then to determine the optimal distribution of reactive power with respect to the optimal localization ...