Optimal coordination of overcurrent relays using genetic algorithm and simulated annealing

Relays play a very important role in the proper functioning of a power system. They detect fault conditions and isolate the faulty part to prevent damage to the components connected to the system. Every part in the power system is protected by a primary and a backup relay to ensure reliability. These primary/backup relay pairs need to be properly coordinated so as to prevent unnecessary outages in the power system. This problem of coordination of overcurrent relays in an interconnected system is a highly constrained optimization problem. This paper applies Genetic Algorithm and Simulated Annealing algorithms to coordinate and determine the Time Multplier Setting of relays in an 8-bus interconnected power system. MATLAB is used as the programming language to code the algorithms.