Swarm intelligence based algorithms for reactive power planning with Flexible AC transmission system devices

•Swarm intelligence algorithms for the planning of FACTS devices.•Effective Co-ordination of FACTS devices with existing Var sources.•Minimization of transmission loss and total operating cost of the system.•Comparative analysis between conventional RPP approach and RPP with FACTS.

In the proposed work, authors have applied swarm intelligence based algorithms for the effective Co-ordination of Flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) devices with other existing Var sources present in the network. IEEE 30 and IEEE 57 bus systems are taken as standard test systems. SPSO (Simple Particle Swarm Optimization) and other two swarm based intelligence approaches like APSO (Adaptive Particle Swarm Optimization) and EPSO (Evolutionary Particle Swarm Optimization) are used for the optimal setting of the Var sources and FACTS devices. The result obtained with the proposed approach is compared with the result found by the conventional RPP (Reactive power planning) approach where shunt capacitors, transformer tap setting arrangements and reactive generations of generators are used as planning variables. It is observed that reactive power planning with FACTS devices yields much better result in terms of reducing active power loss and total operating cost of the system even considering the investment costs of FACTS devices.