Enhanced AVR System Performance via Optimal PID Controller Design Using the Red-Tailed Hawk Algorithm

The stability and dynamic performance of power systems can be significantly improved by regulating the terminal voltage of synchronous generators using an automatic voltage regulator (AVR). However, the effectiveness of the AVR largely depends on the optimal tuning of the proportional integral derivative (PID) controller parameters. In this paper, a recently developed metaheuristic optimization technique, namely, the red-tailed hawk (RTH) algorithm, is employed to determine the optimal PID controller parameters for the AVR system. This proposed algorithm aims to minimize a multi-objective performance index that combines the time-weighted squared error (ITSE) and Zwe-Lee Gaing (ZLG) criterion, in order to improve voltage regulation performance, enhance system stability, and achieve superior transient response characteristics. The effectiveness of the proposed RTH-PID controller is validated through extensive simulations and comparative analyses with several well-established optimization PID tuning methods under the same constraints. The obtained results demonstrate that the proposed controller significantly improves dynamic performance by reducing overshoot, settling time, and rise time and enhancing system robustness. These findings confirm the superiority and reliability of the RTH-PID controller for AVR systems.