Optimized Load Frequency Controller Performances With a Reduced Number of Decision Variables: A Gravitational Search Algorithm-Based Method

Abstract

Ensuring stability and maintaining performances of the load frequency controller (LFC) are stimulating tasks. A state feedback controller (SFC) with a generalized range of operation satisfying the necessary and sufficient conditions for system stability along with optimized performances through the gravitational search algorithm (GSA) are proposed. The proposed range is dependent on the system parameters. The agent-based systems in the literature consider the dimension of an agent as per the number of decision variables of the problem. The proposed method reduces the number of decision variables to obtain the controller gains and to use in the optimization process. The proposed method is validated through extensive results for different objective functions, contemplating both the steady state and the transient requirements as well as a consideration of different perturbed system parameters and variations in the input disturbances. Results and comparative studies with popular control techniques and optimization algorithms testify that the proposed method maintains system stability and improves the system performances while considering different system parameters, parametric uncertainties, and variations in input disturbances.