Optimal location of shunt FACTS controllers for transient stability improvement employing genetic algorithm

This article deals with determining the optimal location of a shunt flexible AC transmission systems (FACTS) device for a long transmission line with predefined direction of real power flow, so that maximum improvement in its transient stability performance is achieved. The location of a shunt FACTS controllers is formulated as an optimization problem, and genetic algorithm (GA) is employed to search for the optimal off-center location of static synchronous compensator (STATCOM) for different operating conditions to maintain transient stability. A two-area test system is used to show the effectiveness of the proposed method for determining the optimal location. The results show that, by changing the location of a STATCOM, transient stability can be improved. It is also observed that the optimal location depends on the line loading and initial operating conditions of the system.