Sine Cosine-based Optimization Method for Reactive Power Planning with Multitype FACTS Devices

Abstract The present work proposes the sine cosine-based algorithm (SCA) for the optimal coordination of multitype FACTS devices with all the existing VAr sources of a connected power network. IEEE 57 bus system was chosen as standard test system for this purpose. The objective of the present work was to investigate the efficacy of the proposed algorithm for the optimal usage of the VAr sources already present in the test network as well optimal installations of the different types of FACTS devices. Unified power flow controllers (UPFC), thyristor-controlled series compensators (TCSC), and static var compensators (SVC) were the FACTS devices installed, also sizing of the existing VAr sources i.e Q generations from generators, Shunt capacitor’s VAr output, OLTC tap setting arrangements were determined. Hence the present work may be considered as a reactive power planning problem, where the main purpose was to reduce the system loss as minimum as possible by suitable coordination of all the internal and external VAr sources. Particle swarm optimization (PSO), crow search algorithm (CSA) and pigeon-inspired optimization were the other three optimization techniques also applied along with the sine cosine-based algorithm (SCA). It has been observed that SCA yielded the most suitable result.