Voltage control study using UPFC based on biological computing optimization technique

Unscheduled increment of load variation in a power transmission system has driven the system to experience stressed condition leading to potential cascading trip on the entire system. Thus, close monitoring of load variation in a power network can help in avoiding system operating close to its maximum capacity. This phenomenon has also led to voltage profile depreciation below the acceptable secure limit. In addressing this phenomenon, special scheme can be implemented such as reactive power compensation; installation of flexible AC transmission system (FACTs) devices and capacitor placement in order to alleviate the voltage profile decay problem. Identification of the optimal value of compensating capacitors required proper optimization technique; able to search the optimal solution with less computation burden avoided. This paper presents the voltage control study using unified power flow controller (UPFC) approach based on biological computing optimization technique. In this study, optimization engine was developed for voltage profile enhancement in a power transmission system which utilized the UPFC as the control variables embedded into the system's data. The biological computing optimization technique which can also be termed as artificial immune system (AIS) has proven its feasibility to search the optimal solution of the problems. Implementation on the IEEE Reliability Test System (RTS); considering several variations in the AIS properties indicated its potential in solving voltage control problems.