Comparison of Particle Swarm Optimization and the Genetic Algorithm in the Improvement of Power System Stability by an SSSC-based Controller

Genetic algorithms (GA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) are the most famous optimization techniques among various modem heuristic optimization techniques. These two approaches identify the solution to a given objective function, but they employ different strategies and computational effort; therefore, a comparison of their performance is needed. This paper presents the application and performance comparison of the PSO and GA optimization techniques for a static synchronous series compensator-based controller design. The design objective is to enhance power system stability. The design problem of the FACTS-based controller is formulated as an optimization problem, and both PSO and GA optimization techniques are employed to search for the optimal controller parameters.