Gaussian bare-bones water cycle algorithm for optimal reactivepower dispatch in electrical power systems

Water cycle algorithm (WCA) is one of the efficient metaheuristic optimization algorithms inspired by hydrological cycle in nature. WCA can outperform several robust and efficient metaheuristics in solving optimization problems. Like other metaheuristics, premature convergence and stagnation in local optima can still occur in WCA. In order to mitigate this problem, in this paper, a Gaussian bare-bones WCA (NGBWCA) is proposed and utilized to tackle optimal reactive power dispatch (ORPD) problem in electric power systems. Resistive losses and voltage deviations are the objectives to be minimised. The efficiency of the proposed NGBWCA optimizer is investigated and compared to other well-established metaheuristic optimisation algorithms on IEEE 30, 57 and 118 bus power systems. The experimental results and statistical tests vividly demonstrate the efficiency of the NGBWCA algorithm in solving ORPD problem. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.