Optimization of Reactive Power Dispatch for improvement of Voltage Stability Using Hybrid Differential Squirrel Search Algorithm

The ever-growing demand for electricity coupled with the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources has underscored the importance of maintaining voltage stability in power systems. This paper proposes a novel approach to solving optimal Reactive Power Dispatch (RPD) problems for enhancing voltage stability margins in power systems. It uses a Hybrid Differential Squirrel Search Algorithm (HDSSA) to minimize active power losses and enhance voltage stability margins while observing the power system resource constraints. A key consideration is the New Voltage Stability Index (BVSI) determined before and after optimization. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is tested on the standard IEEE 14 bus test system using MATLAB and DIgSILENT PowerFactory software. Results obtained reveal the superiority of the proposed approach in the improvement of voltage stability compared with the results of Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Genetic Algorithm (GA) techniques for RPD optimization.