Series-parallel power system optimisation using a harmony search algorithm

International audienceToday's important industrial companies seek maximum benefit with minimum investment. In order to achieve this goal, design engineers depend on cost optimisation techniques. This work uses a harmony search algorithm (HS) meta-heuristic optimisation method to solve the problem of power systems design optimisation. We consider the case where redundant electrical components are chosen to achieve a desirable level of reliability. The electrical power components of the system are characterised by their cost, capacity and reliability. The proposed meta-heuristic seeks for the optimal design of series-parallel power systems in which a multiple choice of electrical power components with different parameters are selected from a list of products available in the market. To allow fast reliability estimation, a universal moment generating function (UMGF) method is applied. A computer program has been developed to implement the UMGF and HS algorithm. An illustrative example is presented