Hybrid SMES Based Reactive Power Dispatch by Cuckoo Search Algorithm

Superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) systems are one of the emerging technologies which might gain importance. This technology help to meet peak electrical load demands by providing time varying energy management along with voltage stability. Therefore, it can be suitably utilized to solve reactive power dispatch (RPD) for nonrestructured and restructured scenarios. The RPD involving multilateral power transactions frequently causes huge real power losses with dynamic voltage limit crossover. These are commonly tackled by capacitor placements. Due to its static behavior, the capacitors are unable to provide desired results every time. In this context, SMES can generate the desired solutions. However, the SMES also have limited power applications due to their higher installation and operating costs. Therefore, if the hybrid compensators involving capacitor and SMES are optimally chosen, the cost of operation will reduce but effective solution may be generated. This further helps to improve global welfare of the restructured network. In this work, hybrid capacitor-SMES based var compensation is utilized to solve the RPD for the nonrestructured and restructured network. The sitting and sizing of the compensators are assigned by the cuckoo search algorithm. The hybrid capacitor-SMESs achieved 3.93% more power loss reduction and 1.53 times improved economics compared to single capacitor based solution for the nonrestructured IEEE 118 bus network. Further, the hybrid capacitor-SMESs obtained 0.2362% improved global welfare from the study having no var compensators for restructured RPD considering IEEE 118 bus network.