Optimization of optimal power flow problems with FACTS devices using PSO technique

This paper presents a comparative study for the effect of different types of FACTS devices on the optimal power flow (OPF) optimization problems. The particle swarm optimization (PSO) technique is used to solve the OPF problem and to obtain the optimal parameters setting and allocation of FACTS devices considering five objective functions. Three different types of FACTS devices (SVC, STATCOM or UPFC) are incorporated to the IEEE 30-bus test power system one by one. Points of comparison are the objective functions of the OPF problem and the voltage profile of the power system. Also, the effect of adding a fuel cell energy source to the STATCOM device is considered. The simulation results investigate a comparison of FACTS devices effectiveness in enhancing the system performance.