Simultaneous optimal placement and parameter-tuning of SVC, TCSC and PSS using Honey-Bee Mating Optimization

Power system stabilizer (PSS), an auxiliary controller used in conjunction with the excitation system of synchronous generators, is mandatorily needed for damping low-frequency oscillations. FACTS devices are also increasingly being employed to provide sufficient damping for inter-area oscillations. However, uncoordinated tuning of PSSs and FACTS devices may cause unwanted interactions that further results in the system destabilization. This paper aims to simultaneously find optimal location as well as parameters of Static Var Compensator (SVC), Thyristor-Controlled Series Compensator (TCSC) and PSS controllers using multi-objective Honey-Bee Mating Optimization (HBMO) to damp low-frequency oscillations in multi-machine power systems. The proposed objective functions are eigenvalue-based that shift the system eigenvalues associated with the electromechanical modes to the left half of the s-plane and minimize the speed deviations at all machines. Simulation results on a 16-machine 68-bus power system confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method to be a useful framework for the optimal placement and parameter-tuning of the many existing controllers in large-scale power systems.